Into The Water
by grey-zebra
Summary: When Haruka gets to know Mizuki Watanabe, he's intrigued. A problem surfaces, and Haruka finds out that she suffers from aquaphobia. Not accepting the fact that there is such a person who fears water with such passion, he takes up the task of helping Mizuki overcome her fears. It's time to test the waters! Haruka x OC x Rin
1. Chapter 1

Mizuki Watanabe dreamed of the dolphin again. It was always the same dream, one so vivid that when she awoke she was tangled in her sheets, disoriented and filled with annoyance.

Mizuki was looking out over the wave-scarred ocean. The new semester's opening assembly at school was a drag. Around her, fellow students passed by and above, a bird streaked across the slowly deepening sky.

The tide was coming in, carrying seashells and driftwood tumbling to the shore. She can't identify with the Bottlenose dolphin in her dreams.

"The water is too cold to dive in," she said aloud, feeling the urge to break the silence. "It's always too cold." Mizuki wrinkled her nose when a fresh wave of water reached her feet, and she pulled back in time. With a ragged sigh, the fear from the dream resurfaced.

_Unlike that dolphin, I'm the most miserable when I'm in the water_, Mizuki thought, her heart filling with dread. It had been eight years since Mizuki developed a phobia of water; strong waves or deep waters, swimming pools, bathtubs and so on. Just thinking of entering the water brings shivers up her spine.

Eight years spanned a good half of her life, she thought, considering she'd only lived sixteen.

After she'd been diagnosed with aquaphobia, her parents invested large sums in therapy, but it had little to no effect. She was content dedicating her life avoiding water altogether. "Then, why? Why do I feel like I'm missing out? Is it even possible for me to swim, like that dolphin in my dream?"

Suddenly, her large brown eyes were focused on something in the water. Mizuki arched on tiptoe at the water's edge, peering into the ocean. Then she saw it clearly. A large dark object floated at the surface not more than fifty feet out.

It wasn't a shark.

She squinted.

It could be just trash.

Intrigued by the shadowy object bobbing on the waves, she let out a gasp; it was a person! A boy—and he looked dead. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes wildly scanned the beach. "Help!" she cried out. "Anyone, please!" No such luck.

Swearing under her breath, she took off her shoes, coiled her long light brown hair in a twist at the top of her head, then walked into the sea. Her confidence melted away like snow before the sun as the water rushed over her feet, and reluctantly, she shrunk back.

A wave carried the body closer and Mizuki's stomach clenched at the sight. It looked like he'd been floating for a long time; he was covered with seaweed.

_I can just wait till he washes up on shore_, she thought. _I can't do that!_ She was breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of hauling him in, and that means stepping into the water. Mizuki looked over the surface of the water, then began wading toward the boy.

The water, now reaching above her knees, was something horrible, threatening to rise and envelop her. She could feel an edge of panic trying to take over, but the anger building inside her rose to the surface, and before she knew it Mizuki jumped in, shattering the water into a milky cloud of tiny bubbles.

A wave of dizziness overcame her, and for a few seconds it looked like she would drown, as shallow as the water was. Nevertheless, the attempted rescue was a success and she dragged the boy ashore. For a long minute she dropped there in the sand and choked, sucking in air that burned her throat.

Mizuki shook heavy tangles of her hair out of her face and shivered; it really was too cold for a dive in the water. Struggling to fight her sudden dizziness, she focused on the task at hand, immediately performing CPR and heart massage on the unconscious male.

Her mother—head nurse of the intensive care unit at the children's hospital—taught Mizuki the basics on what to do in a situation like this.

The victim suddenly lunged forward, blinked confused, then shook the excess water out of his hair like a dog. His eyes were blue; blue as the ocean itself—blue as the blue we see in a sapphire gemstone. A misty and shady blue, that had no beginning or surface, and was looked _into_ rather than _at_.

"Are you alright? You scared me half to death," she said, surprised at how calm her voice was. The boy parted his lips, and said nothing. A chilly wind blew, causing the soaked girl to shiver in her wet clothes to the very marrow of her bones.

"What happened?"

"I drowned," he said with a straight face.

"Obviously!" Mizuki got up on her feet feeling gross all over. "I thought you were…" There was a pause, and then her voice came back, all angry. "You're an _idiot_. It's way too cold to swim in the ocean."

"Judging by your wet and disheveled appearance, you went for a little swim yourself. Besides, you don't own the ocean, so I'm free to do what I want," he clicked his tongue in an annoyed manner, losing interest quickly.

Mizuki gaped. "I-I did, didn't I?" she stuttered, only now realizing what she had done. "I jumped in to save—" she stopped talking, and as of this moment she was seized with a panic of anxiety; she felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs, wheezing heavily.

He gazed at her in confusion, utterly discomposed, as if a ghost had appeared from the ground before him. Mizuki didn't know what she did after. She must have laughed, then fainted.

The next thing she knew she awoke in bed with her mother in the room, opening the curtains. "Time for school." Mizuki moaned, burying her head in the pillow. Once her mother told her the time she fell out of bed and got dressed in record time. "I can't be late!"

Mizuki flung down the stairs and out into the streets toward her destination, only a half a block away, colliding into a classmate. Makoto Tachibana was the first to speak after he handed her school bag.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine. Thanks," she answered, glancing at the road and then back at Makoto. He smiled, his two great green eyes glowing like emeralds. She grew nervously impatient; they'd only met yesterday at the opening ceremony, and yet here he was, acting as if they were the best of friends.

"I've gotta go," Mizuki said to him, before he'd offer to walk with her. Despite feeling a bit dejected—because she was right to interrupt his offer, Makoto kept his gorgeous smile and waved after her. "See you later!"

"You're talking to yourself now?" Haruka shut the front door with a bang, jump-scaring Makoto. "Your behavior worries me." The gentle giant sighed with sagged shoulders.

"The unhealthy amount of time you spend in the bathtub is worrisome," he countered. "Besides, I wasn't talking to myself."

With a friendly pat on the back, "I talk to the water sometimes, when I'm alone." Haruka shared a secret and walked off. Makoto just stared at his retreating back, too tired to say anything.

— — — — — — — —

Break time. As everyone began filtering out the classroom for lunch, Mizuki sat at her desk with her flavored soy milk and chicken sandwich. The whole rescuing thing felt dreamlike now. She was underwater, trying to save that boy. It's possible that part could have been… a hallucination.

Mizuki took a few greedy gulps from the milk, then wiped her mouth. What was up with that kid in his swimming trunks, anyway?

Someone called out, a boy's voice. "Hey there!" She spun around, clutching her sandwich, and managed to blink. Makoto stood near the entrance of the classroom, casually offering her some squid strips. "Want some?"

Yesterday had been rough, submerging herself into the dark, salty waters of the ocean, with her coughing up all the gross water in her system—it made her feel queasy just recalling the events. She deserved a little reward.

Hesitantly, Mizuki reached out for one and then proceeded to nibble in total bliss. "Help yourself with the rest," Makoto insisted, taking in the adorable image of Mizuki's content expression. "My friends weren't hungry for it, so here."

"Your friends?" she paused, licking her greasy fingers, and wiped them on a napkin.

"Those two," Makoto pointed at his two friends—one was plastered, as it were, up against the window in the hall, and another was drinking his bottled water, all composed and calm.

"She's so cute, Mako-chan!" Nagisa jumped about the classroom in a comical way, while his round, pink eyes were bright and sparkling as beads. "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch," Makoto retorts quickly.

"So you like feeding her just for the heck of it? That's a bit odd."

"You're the oddball for thinking like that." Makoto smiled, and it lit his whole face and reached deep into his eyes, "So cute~" but he face-palmed when Nagisa sat across from Mizuki, gazing lovingly into her brown orbs.

Then she saw Haruka appear from behind his tall friend. "Good to see you're up and about," he said, sounding a bit uncaring. She straightened, hoping her face didn't show how sick she felt from looking at the liquid in his transparent bottle.

_Just look at his face_, she breathed through her nose. Big mistake. Those blue orbs of his made her stomach twist and turn; she was getting seasick.

Not expecting it, a clear, bright spray of water splashed in her face.

Makoto gaped in horror.

Nagisa beamed with excitement.

Unable to speak or think, Mizuki struggled in vain to keep back her tears, and now panic—sheer, unreasoning panic—filled her. She snatched the bottle from his grasp and dumped the last amount of water on Haruka. He was suddenly overcome by a feeling of bliss - absolute bliss! – as though he was swimming in a never ending pool.

Mizuki stomped past while Nagisa gazed at her steadily with his big, pink eyes, a worried frown forming on his forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favorites and likes on this story! The reviews make me especially happy, and a happy writer means faster updates! I'll do my best with the following chapter. I hope you readers will enjoy this one. Happy reading!**

* * *

When Mizuki reached the school Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa were nowhere to be seen. The students in the classroom were animatedly chatting away, but Mizuki had no heart for chit-chat and went to her seat immediately.

She couldn't put her mind on the lessons and missed both in geography and math. "Watanabe-san, you're not paying attention," said the teacher severely. "You just said the capital of Egypt was Albany. You know better than that."

"Cairo," corrected Mizuki.

"Pay more attention."

Haruka didn't show himself until an hour later. Mizuki packed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and she reached the hallway around the corner when Haruka greeted her.

"What do you want?" asked Mizuki roughly.

"I want to talk."

She hesitated, and then agreed. To the girl standing across from him, he apologized for his actions. "Makoto forced you to apologize, didn't he?" she began, and he nods his head, unashamed. "He won't let me swim in the pool."

"Seriously…" she sighed, but at least he was honest.

"You jumped in the ocean to save me," he spoke quietly, and his blue eyes voluntarily swept to her brown ones, "But you dislike water."

Her face took on a look of quiet hardness. "I'm aquaphobic. So what?" The words were almost a cry. "When you go swimming in the ocean, there's a chance you might attract a hungry shark and get eaten."

She ranted on without a hitch, "The possibility of an attack _terrifies_ me. They have quite a set of teeth—ever seen one up close?"

"Sure I have," Haruka answered with a straight face, and the sea monster he envisioned in his head was none other than Rin Matsuoka, showing off his pearly whites.

"You wouldn't be swimming in the ocean if that were true," she frowned. "Also, once in the water, you increase the probability of drowning. Drinking too much of the liquid can kill you as well; your kidneys have to work overtime to filter excess water out of your circularly system to keep the overall amount at a safe level."

Haruka stared. This was getting ridiculous.

"But you jumped in the water before."

"To save your life." She threw out her hands to emphasize her words.

"So you _can_ go swimming."

Mizuki groaned in frustration. They had absolutely nothing in common. For starters, just coming near water would give her hives, whereas the guy across from her would fit easily in a water playground. "Pools contain chlorine, so basically, you're absorbing toxins in your skin which leads to irritation and can trigger rashes, burning itchy eyes, asthma and so on."

"Do you want to swim or not?" he asked. He was almost smiling now. She raised her finger to say something and stared—the look of confusion replaced with an embarrassing flush sweeping up her face. "I suppose I do _want_ to swim," Mizuki said with a bitter laugh; in her eyes, it seemed impossible to get rid of her phobia. "There's still a chance it can all go wrong."

"I'll be there when that happens," he said, determined to keep his word. "I'll help you help yourself to swim again."

Again a flush swept up Mizuki's face. Indeed, he was very different from her—their lives are led differently, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"We can start right away." He held out his hand for her to hold.

"Wait, right now?" she gulped. He inclined his head, his eyes never leaving hers. With a swift motion he caught her wrist, and dragging her along, all the while ignoring her protests, then arriving at the outdoor swimming pool.

She gaped.

The empty pool was overgrown with weeds, trash and dead leaves, and all the paint had been worn off the surrounding fence. Still holding onto her wrist, Haruka raised her arm in the air in triumph, shouting: "This one is willing to help!"

All attention was concentrated on Mizuki.

Plucking out a nasty weed in the empty pool, Nagisa sprang into the air and smiled up at her, then waved his arm in pure glee. "I'm glad you came along, Mizu-chan! That one won't lift a finger," he points at Miho Amakata, the homeroom teacher currently dozing off in her comfortable chair, complete with a black parasol.

Makoto stopped stuffing his bag with leaves, and his features lit up at the sight of the girl. He regarded Haruka gravely, however. "I thought you ditched us," he said; "only you dragged Mizuki into this. You're forcing her to help, aren't you?"

Haruka shrugged.

"You can lower her arm now, " Makoto ran on, only this time he was smiling, clearly amused.

"Haru-chan! You can help mend this crack in the wall!" Haruka cast one nervous, hesitating glance at Nagisa where the boy was working, then turned and fled.

"Haru-chan!" The blonde began running after him with a broom, shouting things as he ran. Meanwhile Makoto watched her enter the pool, which she proceeded to do with hesitation. All the while, with his hands deep in his pockets, he regarded her movements with silent interest, as those of some strange new animal.

"He said he'd help me," she explained, when she had joined him, "but instead he tricked me. I wish he were serious."

"Oh, I'm sure Haru meant well," he replied heartily, "he's a good guy, honest."

She reflected. "I suppose he is," she said, "but—" here she shivered, "he sure loves water."

From Haruka they passed, naturally enough, to her phobia, and then to the swimming club, the pool, and other subjects. In five minutes they had each other's confidences, and they seemed to have known one another for a lifetime. It was easier to be frank and talkative with her than with other girls in class.

"You don't have to worry about a thing," he said presently, watching Haruka from afar. The boy just finished mending the wall with a taping knife under Nagisa's heavy supervision. "He's dead serious—especially when it concerns swimming, even though he doesn't look it. Haru wants you to enjoy swimming as much as we do. You're in good hands."

"I don't know," she answered shyly, "I might give up halfway." Mumbling this with low confidence, she bend down to pick up some leaves, and her long, silky hair tumbled bewitchingly over her shoulders.

Seeing this, "May I…" he asked her permission, and she complied, as confused as she was. He wiped his hands on his pants, did her hair in a side ponytail with braid and tied it with his little sister's pink scrunchie; he'd forgotten he carried the darn thing in his pocket.

"There you go," he said with a smile. "Your hair won't get in the way as much." She thanked him profusely.

At break time, it was Gou Matsuoka who brought everyone drinks. "I got you something too," she smiled at Mizuki, "and it's your favorite. Flavored soy milk! It's a reward for all your hard work."

Mizuki brightened up at this, and the two heard her murmur with gusto, "Soy milk!"

"Where's Haruka-senpai?" Gou asked, looking round her gravely.

"Nagisa's gone as well…" Makoto didn't like that it became so quiet all of a sudden—like the silence before the storm. The door was kicked open at that moment and in comes Haruka, armed with a heavy water gun.

"What are you doing?" Makoto inclined his head.

"Yeah, why are we doing this again?" Nagisa asked, sporting a small but effective water gun.

"We'll be helping Mizuki get rid of her phobia," he answered slowly as he pumped up the gun. Mizuki choked on her milk; she turned pale and her lips tightened.

_Good guy my ass!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! There isn't much Haru in this chapter, but that will change in the next one. Maybe Rin will play a big role, too. Not quite sure about that... Anyway, happy reading and till the next!**

* * *

Thirst. That's what it was. An avid, parched search for deeper understanding—one that led her past days of study and speculation, wandering the school library aisles, reading carefully chosen books. The dolphin crept into her restless dreams, shrouded in mystery.

Mizuki discovered dolphins had been cherished by the ancient Greeks; killing a dolphin was considered a desecration of the sacred before the gods, an offense punishable by death. She didn't stop inhaling information—some of it useful—and some of it not so much.

"Belonging to the great and ancient family of mammals called Cetaceans, dolphins are actually tiny, toothed whales; roughly thirty varying species… Tursiops truncates, the Bottlenose dolphin, enjoys swimming in the world's oceans, inhabiting almost every kind of marine habitat in tropical and temperate seas… The reproductive organs are tucked away within the body, the mammary glands located on either side of the genital slit, below the navel… The brain of the Bottlenose dolphin is larger than that of man…"

None of it explained why she was having these bizarre dreams. This search, driven by a desire to get rid of her dreams through collected literature, frustrated her in great measure. Clutching onto a pair of books that she borrowed with great distain, Mizuki went around the corner when Nagisa, running like mad, collided into her.

"Mizu-chan!" He beamed. "I knew I'd find you here!" Despite the hard impact Nagisa didn't seem to suffer any type of pain.

"And now I have half the mind to change schools," she winced, very annoyed while clutching her head. "Are you made out of bricks?"

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "Hey, what are those?" She clutched onto the books in a hurry. Presently getting up, he caught her eye and smiled sheepishly, like a child caught in innocent mischief.

"So you're _that_ kind of girl, huh?"

Mizuki looked shocked and embarrassed. A blush crept upon her cheeks. "It's not like that at all!" she said, as she clutched onto the books with perhaps more tenderness and care than she might have in the past.

"There's no need to be embarrassed," said Nagisa, in a teasing mood, "I read spicy romance novels from time to time. I'm more into the supernatural genre though." The realization sank in that she had, in actuality, read literature concerning the aquatic animal's reproduction facts. "Why are you here?" she spoke rudely, her face flushed to the color of tomatoes.

He shrugged. "We're gonna go train in the pool. Haru-chan told me to come get you."

"I can't," she said, and managed to look unfazed. "I have stuff to do."

"More dolphin research?" Nagisa asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Didn't think I'd notice, huh?"

"No," she sighed reluctantly. "Not really."

"You _have_ to check out the pool." Nagisa looked amused, and at the same time somehow challenging, like a kid making a cute face for grandpa and grandma, his pink eyes opening wide, his mouth curling into an impish little grin. "You don't have to go near the water; just watch us swim."

"I'm sorry. I'm really not up for it."

No widening of the big pink eyes this time. No look of amusement. If anything, there was instead a somewhat exaggerated expression of sadness. Mizuki felt the boy was acting a part, pretending to be someone smart, a lot less complex than the first-year student he actually was.

She couldn't be farther from the truth; he has a sharp mind with keen and quick insight to boot, and his manipulation skills are uncanny. "Fine, I'll go! Just for the love of God, stop looking like a wounded puppy."

Nagisa cheered. "You won't regret it!" Heavy regret already sank in her stomach like a heavy stone.

As they arrived at the pool, Mizuki was greeted by Gou. "Looks nice, doesn't it?" She said, catching Mizuki cautiously staring at the body of water. The boys had thrown themselves into the blue water like joyous seals, tumbling and splashing with vigor. Haruka was absent.

Rei, unable to swim, clutched in fear to the edge of the pool while Makoto coaxed him further in. They had on proper bathing-suits; Rei did not. He acted like he'd never been swimming before in his life.

"That's Rei Ryuugazaki, our fourth swimmer," Gou said.

"Are you sure he's swimmer material?" Mizuki asked. "Maybe he should quit."

"Mizuki," Haruka appeared from behind, rising to a stand. "May I remind you that he's working hard and he's actually _in the water_ despite his disability to swim? So yes, we are sure he's swimmer material."

The blood rushed to Mizuki's cheeks. She was ashamed. Rei was at least brave enough to enter the water, unlike her. Gou's brows rose in surprise at Mizuki's reaction. Then her shoulders lowered and her lips lifted to a thoughtful smile. "Don't be discouraged. You'll be in the water before you know it."

Mizuki let out a hearty, boisterous burst of laughter. "Who, _me?_"

Rei had climbed out of the water by now and blamed his borrowed speedo for the lack of swimming skills, extremely frustrated. "I don't see why you can't buy a new swimsuit," Makoto followed his example, and Mizuki looked at him now, her gaze lingering on his face for an instant before sliding down his body. She took her time taking in the details.

For some reason, he felt as if he was being measured for a suit rather than sized up in a sexual way. It was a little unnerving. "You're nicely built," she said, an observation, not a compliment. "Hard to believe you guys just swim and don't lift weights."

He laughed. "Thank you?"

She slapped her palm over her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean that the way it sounds."

"Right. Because you don't ogle at men's pecks and biceps, unlike our female manager."

"No. Yes. No." She shook her head. "Forget it."

He laughed. He couldn't help it.

Her brows drew together, and she looked both perturbed and adorable. He wanted to reach out and smooth his fingers along the little lines that marked her frown. But he had a feeling that if he touched her, she might bolt. And, oddly, he wasn't ready for her to bolt.

"Ah, do you have a swimsuit, Mizuki?" She paled and stared at him for so long, he almost felt sorry for asking. "N-no… I don't." She seemed so nervous.

"Relax. No one is forcing you to step into the water."

"We're not?" Haruka questioned, his head tilted to the side in confusion. "Because Rei is drowning. Better hurry up and save him."

Poor Rei clutched at the side of the pool, "You pushed me in, Nanase-senpai!" but his hold slipped and down he went in the water, out of sight.

"Rei-chan… You're drowning in the shallow end."

The spectacled first-year abruptly stopped splashing about and stood firmly on his feet, his wet hair sticking to his forehead. "I knew that." A pursing of the lips. "I was just..."

"Practicing?" Mizuki offered an excuse to save him from further embarrassment. A shrug. "Practicing, yes. As you put it."

They laughed boisterously, like big children.


	4. Chapter 4

_**So I really enjoyed writing down Rin's part, like, so much, that I totally forgot about poor Haru. He'll appear more in the next one. By the way, I've been thinking about adding Rin as a love interest cause I'm a sucker for rival love affairs. Please don't be scared to share your opinion on the matter! Is it a good idea to get Rin involved, or is it a no go? Makoto is NOT out of the race. Really hope Rin is in character. Happy reading!**_

* * *

At the ever so popular swim gear shop, Haruka glanced at the far right to see his pupil, Mizuki, and Gou standing beside her, shoulder to shoulder, bent over Gou's swimsuit magazine. He had to work to keep the smile off his face as he listened to Gou desperately trying to get Mizuki excited about current fashion trends and cute accessories to match.

Gou never clucked her tongue or rolled her eyes when Mizuki said something silly.

_She's in good hands_, Haruka thought. The boys were on a little shopping spree of their own, and they'd each found a stylish swimsuit, a pair of neat goggles and a swim cap. Mizuki had so much fun watching them make their choices. But when it came to her own needs she turns pale and makes up a flurry of excuses on the spot.

"Just dive in," he said, and the boys approached the pair with caution; the female swimsuit section of the store confused them to no end. Nagisa, on the other hand, boldly took in the sight of the two pieces, busty halter tops, flashy thongs and frilly swim-dresses.

"What?" Mizuki asked, looking up from the magazine. "I don't get what you're saying."

There was a pause.

"Embrace your inner water spirit."

The two regarded one another. Haruka remained still, keeping his eyes glued to hers while she fidgeted awkwardly.

"It's not that easy, Haruka-senpai," Gou let loose a grin. "She's not ready to buy a swimsuit, and definitely not ready to embrace her inner water spirit, as you put it."

"That's understandable," Makoto chimed in. "We already forced Mizuki to come along. Don't stress her out, Haru. Give her time."

Haruka pinned Makoto with his aquatic-blue eyes. "But she has the perfect figure for swimming." Mizuki made a face, but secretly she thrilled at the compliment.

"Her head is cone-shaped, which makes for better streamlining, and her ears are small, cutting down on resistance. Her shoulders are flexible and stable, and her arms are slightly longer than average, which is ideal, like her legs; long and strong, very flexible with flowing and supple movements."

_Just take my self-confidence_, she thought. _I don't need it anyway_.

Haruka looked closer. "Your chest—"

"GIVE ME A BREAK!" she yelled, causing for multiple heads to turn in their direction. Embarrassed, she hid behind Makoto—his size made for a good makeshift shield—and he immediately took on the protective mother role.

"Haru, don't just say things like that!" he spat urgently. "Girls tend to have hateful thoughts about their body on their own, so don't make things worse by pointing them out so casually!"

"I like Mizu-chan's chest though," Nagisa added.

"I agree," Rei pushed up his glasses with a faint twinkle.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Rei-chan."

"I'm not referring to that… area!"

"So you don't like it?"

"Yes," a pause, "I mean no! It's decent enough… Stop making me look bad!" Rei exploded.

Mizuki was skinny, all long legs and bare arms and a neck that looked like it was carved out of rare marble. Her light-brown hair was long and straight and thick, too. But does that make her a good swimmer?

"You should cut your hair," Haruka commented. "It'll only slow you down in the water. Soon, you'll be ready for the Olympics."

"We'll help you pick out a nice swimsuit!" said Nagisa coaxingly. "You'll look like a professional swimmer!"

Mizuki was hyperventilating; it was all too much. "This was a mistake," she said as she walked off, her feet picking up the pace, then disappeared out of sight. It seemed suddenly quieter without her to focus on.

"So then," said Gou, breaking the silence. "Which one of you can I clobber upside the head?"

Haruka boldly points at Nagisa who disagrees, rudely pointing right back at him. Makoto just sighed. "I'm going after her," Rei offered. Makoto insists that it wasn't necessary; they've already meddled more than enough.

Mizuki hugged her legs. She ignored the people's stares, which was hard to do when she was seen wearing a scuba gear, complete with a dive mask, snorkel and overly large dive fins. She picked up the regulator hose and breathed through the mouthpiece. The stab of alarm tensing her muscles wasn't so easy to get rid of.

_The second I get in the water, the currents could grab me and sweep me down to my death in a matter of minutes._ Mizuki shuddered. She didn't want to try and swim anymore.

Throughout the process of trying to calm her beating heart by breathing through the mouthpiece, a rising panic clenched her throat and choked off any words she might have said. Someone squatted down to her level, then proceeded to lightly tap the surface of her dive mask.

"You okay?"

Startled by his voice, Mizuki darted a glance at his face and studied this stranger. He was grumpy and didn't try to disguise it. When staring into his eyes—fire red and warm as a fox's fur coat—Mizuki started to forget the Japanese language.

Rin's hand, strong and sinewy, extended toward Mizuki to help her on her feet. Her belly completed a spin, flipping so rapidly that she could barely catch her breath. She realized she was still sitting there, staring like she was some idiot farmer girl gawking at the prince of England with his hand extended toward her.

"Thank you," she murmured gratefully.

"Why were you huddled on the floor with that scuba gear getup?" he asked, his brow raised. "You were blocking the way like a total idiot." He had an accent. Australian if she wasn't mistaken and it was attractive as hell. _And he's overbearing as hell._

"I got scared and suffered from a mild panic attack," she answered, pulling down her dive mask and hood. "Sorry for the trouble."

Double rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed wickedly as he pinned her with an amusing look. "Sorry for the trouble?" A shiver coursed up her spine. Mizuki could almost feel the chilly waters around her, the current pushing her toward powerful jaws. "That's all you have to say after wasting my time?"

There was something dark in his eyes no matter how pretty the color. A pause, and then her lips tightened. "I could say _get off my back_, instead." Her voice snapped with the spunk she remembered from when she was a child.

He blinked then laughed, the sound rich and warm in her ears. "Scaredy cat's got claws."

"I have a condition, jackass. I'm aqua-phobic." She struggles to keep her voice to a reasonable volume.

He laughed again. "You _are_ kidding, right?" He stared at her until she felt like a slide under a microscope. Then his eyes widened, and she saw a flicker of surprise. "You're not kidding. Okay. I'll bite. What the hell are you doing in a swim shop, then?"

"What's it to you?" she said before she could think better of it. Actually, that sounded pretty good. Emboldened, she tilted her head and tried to look intimidating.

He blinked. Then he did a slow perusal of her pose and shook his head. "Seriously?"

"I come here all the time. I—" she blew out a breath and opted for the truth because, really, what was the point of lying? "I'm sorry. I mean—" she waved a hand "—It's my first time here," she admitted. "Have you been here often? Kind of a dumb question now that I see you with those cool swimming goggles. You're a swimmer, right? Are you good at it?"

"You talk a lot," he observed in a lazy drawl. Honestly, he didn't know why he's _still _there. "You always like this?"

She opened her mouth, then paused, considering her answer. She _was_ always like this. A friend had once told her she tended to ramble. "Yes."

"Honest—" he quirked a brow "—and strange." He shook his head, and he smiled, an easy, slow curve of his lips that made him look almost…nice. "A combination that I normally despise." The way he said that made Mizuki think that he's taking a liking to her.

She was definitely different.

Despite the fact that her expressions and body language made her pretty much an open book, he got the feeling there were layers there. She was pretty enough. Brown eyes. Light brown hair that hung in a shiny curtain past her shoulders now that she'd pulled it free of the diver hood.

He thought she might have a European ancestor somewhere in her background. Italian maybe? Hard to say. It would account for the nice color of her skin and the shape of her eyes—they weren't almond shaped, like typical Asian eyes.

"I'm Rin. Matsuoka Rin." He offered his hand. She stared at it for so long, he almost withdrew it. Then she pressed her palm to his and said, "Um... Mai.. Tanaka.. No. I mean, Momoko."

"You really are a bad liar." Her skin was warm and smooth, and almost without conscious thought, he found himself tightening his grip just a little. He ran his thumb over her knuckles. Soft skin over delicate bones.

"Sorry. I'm not good at—" she made a vague gesture with her left hand because her right one was still trapped in his "—this."

"This?"

She flapped her hand back and forth between the two of them. "Me. Hot guy. _This_."

"Oh, you mean you've never talked to a hot guy?" He was finding this conversation highly entertaining.

Haruka emerged into the aisle holding his new pair of swimming trunks, looking at the fins on display with fascination. Mizuki caught a glimpse of his profile. "Oh, that's one of my friends," she told Rin. "Over here!" she waved.

For a second that lasted a lifetime, his world skidded to a halt. _Rin? Here? Now?_ A single, frenzied thought pulsed in his brain and catapulted his feet into action. "You should leave."

Even before his mind could fully register Haruka's presence, Rin frowned, his body reacting to the familiar tone of his old friend's voice. "I think I'll stay, Haru," he growled. Mizuki could feel the air tingling and sparking with intensity as the two glared daggers at one another.

"Still swimming, I see." Though the afternoon air was warm, it seemed to Rin he was caught in a bubble of frigid air, one that surrounded him and this stranger he once knew so well. Haruka shrugged. "You know me. I can't give up."

Mizuki tilted her head. "Care to tell me what's going on?"

A sudden shudder threatened at the memory of his loss years ago. Rin pushed it away and awarded Mizuki a tight smile. He certainly wasn't going to tell her. Not here. Not now.

"Let's go, Mizuki. We're done here." Haruka ushered her away. Her back burned. She could feel Rin's eyes on her as they hurried away. The flap-flap of her fins made the situation less awkward. She couldn't possibly keep quiet after glancing at Haruka's straight face.

"I look silly, don't I?" Mizuki asked, referring to her getup. He lifted his eyes to hers. They shimmered, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.

"You look pretty nice. Flippers and all."

Mizuki burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**_So sorry for the late update! The charger of my laptop broke down on me so I need to buy a new one. I'm gonna make Rin a love rival, as many of you agreed on. But now I have second doubts about Makoto, whether I should keep him as a love interest or not. In my eyes, it's better to let him go and focus mainly on Rin and Haruka, but I want to know what you guys think before I cut poor Makoto down. Happy reading, and please leave a review! It'll make me so happy!_**

* * *

The water was cold. Mizuki cursed the wetness as she stood in the shallow end of the pool, alternately hugging herself against the cold and trying to think of a dry, warm place.

It's been three minutes since Mizuki entered the pool, and between the constant fear currently taking a hold of every fiber in her being and a rainstorm of dark thoughts raging through her mind, she was freezing her ass off. Mizuki was deadly still—until she heard a loud splash.

She squealed as the water left her dripping wet and utterly miserable. Rei was splashing and shouting and having such an awful time that he wished he could swim properly. A laugh that went a little wild escaped her.

"Not again!" Mizuki cried.

Jeez Marie. She couldn't _believe_ she'd agreed to this. It was too freaking late to second-guess herself now. Wasn't it? She froze for an arrested second. Hell, no, it wasn't!

"I want out, out, out!" She was weeping bitterly by now, and Rei felt so dejected and guilty. Haruka took her in his arms and carried her out. She clung to him, pressing her tear-wet radiant face against his, that her arms threatened to choke him.

Her hair was damp as she shivered from head to toe. Gou came running with a big towel, and Makoto wrapped Mizuki tight in it.

"As snug as a bug in a rug," he said, with a calm, patient expression on his face. It was so typical of him. He was always a steadying force for them all. She'd come to look up to him as the big brother she always wanted—her spoiled little brother should be Makoto's pupil when it comes to learning manners.

"I'll get Mizuki inside and warm her up before she chatters away her teeth." He turned to Mizuki. "What do you say to that?" She looked up at him with troubled brown eyes and her teeth biting the towel, then nodded.

"Let me do that," Haruka offered, walking toward Mizuki, then hinted rather plainly at Rei in the pool.

It had been three days since Mizuki ventured the water. She wept hysterically every time Rei got too close with his failed attempts at learning how to swim. And every time, a hand seemed to squeeze Rei's heart until fresh painful guilt filled his chest.

Makoto caught Haruka's clear blue eyes and understood in a heartbeat; Rei is in dire need of a helping hand. Mizuki isn't the only one struggling, after all.

— — — — — —

She was sitting on a bench inside the boys' changing room, glumly putting on her socks and inside school shoes. She was juddering slightly, but at least her tears had dried up. After several minutes, Haruka arrived with a hot can and handed it over. She took the milk tea flavored beverage, taking a sip gingerly so she wouldn't burn her tongue.

"Delicious," she said, sighing in utter bliss.

He smiled.

"You're a real milk addict," he said. "I figured you'd like that one. So, you want to talk about what happened?"

"I don't feel like it," Mizuki said, deflated. She took another sip, savoring the rich, creamy drink. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not cut out to swim after all."

"Don't be sorry," Haruka replied quickly. "It's my fault. I forced you to face your fears. I made you go through with this."

The two of them fell silent for thirty seconds. Mizuki fiddled with the fringe of her skirt—wishing she was just about anywhere else. "I keep having these dreams," she said. "I find myself propelled downward, caught in a spiral of swift water. The current carries me, swirling around a gyre and through a vast spread of seaweed. A supernatural force is pushing me down. Always downward. I'm sinking. I'm suffocating," she whispered shakily.

"Crying out for help, my mouth fills with water; I struggle against being drawn down the abyss. Then I hear a high pitched whistle—a bottle-nosed dolphin approached me, and together we'd swirl and spiral down with him curving around me playfully, offering the sliding caress of his ivory teeth on my limbs, never scarring me."

"A dream with a good ending," said Haruka, a blank expression gracing his face. "That's not the case at all!" she cried.

Haruka faced her, and immediately, predictably, Mizuki burst into noisy, copious tears. She was pale and trembling with emotion, watching him with eyes so blinded by tears that she could hardly see.

"I keep sinking further and further down, and I have to relive that terrible sinking feeling every time I shut my eyes. There's nothing I can do to convince that dolphin to _help_ me!"

Without warning, Haruka squeezed her tightly so Mizuki's face was squashed against his shirt, and she dropped her can, spilling the contents on the floor. He said nothing. She felt safe, all squashed up against him, smelling his smell and hearing his steady heartbeat.

Of course, her parents hugged her all the time, but this wasn't the same. It's just… different, somehow.

Her face was pressed up against him and her neck was a bit twisted, but still she could have stayed safely inside Haruka's embrace all afternoon. But he let go of her and smoothed back a tress of hair from her flushed and tear-stained face.

"Have you calmed down a bit?" Mizuki made no reply, and he went on— "Forget about the dolphin. Forget about the nightmare. You should focus on getting wet first, get comfortable in the water. Let your skills develop naturally, at your own pace."

He had confidence in his words, but now he was muttering to himself in doubt and running his eyes over her face.

"Maybe we're moving too fast," Haruka looked away abstractedly.

"Did you say something?" she asked doubtfully.

Haruka gave her shoulders a gentle shake. "We skipped a step," he replied. "Cancel any plans you've made for this weekend; we'll be spending the day at SeaWorld."

"I—I have stuff to do," Mizuki brought out in gusts, and her face worked worse than ever in her efforts not to show her distress. Haruka's grip on her shoulders tightened considerably.

"You _will_ cancel whatever it is you've got planned," he said, his face ever so radiant and his blue eyes sparkling in his excitement.

"I have a part-time job."

"Do I have enough canned mackerel at home?" he didn't hear her and instead was fully preparing for the trip.

"I can't bail on work, you know," demanded Mizuki, bringing her sharp brown eyes to bear on him.

"Call in sick," he stated simply.

Easier said than done. Her boss—who also happened to be her father, won't be fooled that easily. He's the energetic, hard-working owner of the Suzuran family ramen shop. His entire soul was in his work, and it's not likely that he'll let his only daughter ditch her duties to go on a trip with a boy he's never even heard of.

"You want to whisk my daughter away from work for a day of fun?" The man straightened, turning his face toward Haruka with the rest of the swimming club members standing near. As her father's eyes met Haruka's, he winced from the powerful connection that send an intimidating spark through his central nervous system.

His daughter failed to warn him about this kid's dangerous eyes.

"I'm Amakata Miho, the supervisor." The brunette interfered and reached to exchange the courtesy. "Rest assured, Mizuki is in good hands. Just know that love is the master key which opens the gates to happiness!"

"You saying I don't make my daughter happy?" he returned with a deep frown, not at all pleased. _If this woman is the supervisor, I'm a Mexican drug lord_.

"She didn't mean it that way," Makoto sounded sincere enough. "We'll take your daughter straight home, and that's a promise we won't break."

"Come on! Don't be so bitter, Dad!" Thanks to Nagisa's comment, a spasm of anger distorted the man's face. "Dad? The only relation we have is no relation."

"If _something_ were to happen, we'll take full responsibility and ask for Mizu-chan's hand in marriage," the blonde explained with quite the energetic bounce in his demeanor.

"Nagisa! You're not helping!" Makoto's face turned scarlet with embarrassment. Although Haruka understood the underlying meaning behind Nagisa's words, he didn't seem fazed and kept a straight face.

Rei began to laugh boisterously; everyone else thought he finally lost his marbles. "Very well!" He pressed his clear and transparent glasses upward, then pointing at the man in question in quite the dramatic manner. "When your little establishment is in desperate need of more workers, we shall pitch in without a complaint!"

For a minute he thought the older man would disagree. He hesitated, his lips parting. Then he closed them again and shook Rei's hand. "You have a deal, _son_."

Rei felt like crying while Nagisa cheered himself hoarse in the background, embracing Makoto as the tall boy squealed from the surprise hug.

Mizuki could only gape much like a goldfish. "It can't possibly get any worse than this," she finally said, even though the words sounded ridiculously hollow. Maybe if Mizuki kept saying them, she could will the platitude into reality.

"It'll be fine," Haruka said, his clear blue eyes shimmering once more. "Although, it might be best to wear a swimsuit under your clothes; makes up for lost time." With that said, he gave her a thumbs up.

_It just got hella worse…_


	6. Chapter 6

_I worked my butt off to finish this chapter as early as possible! And uh, I don't own SeaWorld, though I wish I could spend the day there after I've seen videos of their shows. Makoto is also officially not a love interest anymore. To Riniel, whom I can't answer through message, I might start up a fic where Makoto is the main event. But it will take time. Also, please review, follow, favorite or whatever! It makes me really really happy to see many people have followed this story! Please let me know if I screw anyone's character up. And with that, read on!_

* * *

Mizuki would look back on the last few days as the last normal ones of her life, though at the time they seemed anything but. Normal was studying in preparation for midterms, playing the saxophone for band practice, babysitting her younger brother and helping out with house chores, not going to a water-themed amusement park.

They arrived early, got the tickets then entered the park. Mizuki gulped and instantly felt like running back to the car. Good thing she was wearing her favorite sleeveless turtle-neck sweater that complemented her brown eyes. Dark green shorts, a slim silver belt, silver sandals, and a small cute purse completed her outfit.

Mizuki might feel out of place and scared, but by God did she look good. Like a smile that she didn't really feel, presenting a together appearance made her feel more together inside, and she badly needed bolstering today.

Nagisa could hardly wait to explore the place. "Let's see the penguins first!" he begged. "Feeding time at the Dolphin Cove starts in five minutes," said Gou, checking the operating schedule on the brochure and totally ignoring Nagisa's whiny attitude.

"Anyone against going?"

Everyone agreed with Gou, "I want to check out the penguins!" with the sole exception of Nagisa. His sour mood changed for the better when they reached the dolphin tank, where they watched the lovable mammals leap, dive and swim.

Gou, Makoto, Haruka, Rei and Nagisa anxiously dipped their hands into the water in hopes of touching one. Delight came calling as several dolphins came shearing the water for a visit! Swimming with rapid skill, the mammals kicked up impressive spumes of spray each time they surfaced. Their rejoicing was instantly contagious, making everyone burst out in laughter.

One particular dolphin seemed to glance at Mizuki who kept a good distance from the water. As its liquid gaze seemed to find hers, the nightmare of the dolphin in the ocean came pouring back. Suddenly shivering, she held the mammal's obsidian stare until it lost interest and turned away.

"Would you like to feed the dolphins?" A male caretaker wearing a wetsuit approached Mizuki, flashing his pearl-white teeth with a dazzling smile.

"A-ah, no thank you," Mizuki spluttered, tucking a strand of her light-brown hair behind her ear. "I'm fine just standing here."

Makoto didn't blame her for refusing; she must feel overwhelmed. "Feeding the dolphins sounds like fun, right Haru?" His gentle green eyes focused on Haruka, and he almost choked; his best friend had already discarded his clothes and prepared to climb into the tank. So much for promising not to bother the animals in their watery habitat!

"Haru, you can't go in the water!"

The trainer called Akira chuckled at Haruka's enthusiasm. "In my ten years of service, I've never seen anyone so keen on swimming with the dolphins." He gestured them to follow him, then presented each of them a wetsuit to wear, serving as a small layer of protection from the chilled waters the dolphins call home.

At that point, Gou and Nagisa lost their marbles and Haruka struggled to breathe, totally overwhelmed. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, but Mizuki refused once more.

"I'll stay as well," Makoto smiled apologetically at Akira, then turned to Mizuki. "I'll keep her company." Mizuki felt guilty in addition to being overwhelmed; he's a swimmer for crying out loud. He _belongs_ in the water. Fortunately, Miho stepped in and offered to look after her, despite Makoto's protests.

"What about you?" Makoto asked the clumsy teacher innocently. A shadow darkened her eyes menacingly, and his face turned green out of fright. "I don't put on swimwear, and that includes wetsuits. Keep that in mind." And the next instant, the polite smile returned. "Have fun!"

Once they submerged into their territory with Akira leading the way, they started with a splash as they each clung onto the slick, balloon-textured skin of the dolphin and across the pool.

"Smile!" a photographer yelled at the other end. Not an easy task when you're being dragged through salt water at 10 miles per hour.

Next, they learned a few flicks of the finger and waves of the arms that would send the dolphins into a well-trained tizzy. They danced, they squealed, they waved and oh, did they splash them good. With a sort of _gimme five_ gesture, the dolphins offered first one and then the other pectoral fin to meet with their human playmates' palm (a universal gesture shared by socializing dolphins, according to Akira.)

Haruka's dolphin was the most enthusiastic with this exchange, wiggling her peck-fins vigorously and bobbing brightly while Haruka broke into a genuine smile, the others breaking into helpless hiccups of laughter.

Mizuki couldn't help but laugh herself.

Maybe she really was overreacting. It's just water, right? Even Rei looked like he was having a blast, and he can't swim to save his life. He wasn't afraid despite his shortcomings.

Haruka's dolphin continued to accept his touch, not leaving his side. Leaning his cheek against hers, he wound a protective arm over her back. She kept her eyes, brimming with indigo secrets, on his. In those unsounded depths, she and Haruka seemed to speak in a language far more ancient and universal than any worldly words. The sight of them, so heart-warming and beautiful, made Mizuki smile throughout.

"I think I want to try and… get closer. Can I?" She asked Akira once the gang rejoined them and the trainer flashed another smile her way.

"Sure thing."

A little hesitantly, she closed in on the tank, hoping the mammals wouldn't splash her. Thankfully, they were considerate of her feelings and left her dry, which she much appreciated.

Next up was an enormous aquarium, featuring stingrays, sharks and other fish. Watching the animals fly through the water was an amazing experience. The sharks captured the boys' attention. "That one looks like Rin!" Nagisa exclaimed while pressing his face against the glass.

Haruka watched the lone shark as it circled the tank with Makoto clinging on his shirt from behind. "Maybe we should go visit the penguins after all," he grimaced, breaking into a sweat. Granted, the exhibit was a bit dark.

"Beautiful," Rei whispered, completely entranced upon seeing a clear-fin lionfish swimming past.

Humming the Jaws music theme, Nagisa got ahead of them, hides, and then jumps out from the dark space, frightening both Rei and Makoto, the latter clinging onto Haruka in fright.

"Stop fooling around Nagisa- kun!" Rei scolded him with a hand on his beating heart.

"That's right," Gou pitched in, covering up the fact that he scared her too. "That was a stupid prank. There are people who are deathly afraid of sharks, you know!" People like Mizuki, perhaps.

Haruka looked back and spotted the girl staring at the largest shark in the tank, the one from before. He slinked at her side, saying nothing. "I'm not scared, if that's what you're thinking," she said, her eyes following the lonely shark's every move.

"You're afraid of _something_."

"Who isn't?" the girl bristled. "You don't know how it feels to be lost at sea, terribly alone, but surrounded by dangers, unknown and terrible things. Sharks are alone all the time, so they know."

"Mizuki," said Haruka, coolly. "You're not alone."

"I feel isolated every time I'm in the water! Someone like you wouldn't understand." Mizuki eyed him shrewdly, but he kept his poker face in place. He was looking at her persistently and wished to speak, but found nothing to say. Instead, he took her hand in his, and her eyes filled with confusion. Mizuki attempted to withdraw her hand: he held it still.

"Let's go," he said. "Before we're left behind."

They were silent, holding each other's hands and from time to time he squeezed hers with all his might, constantly reminding her that he's there. Knowing this, her whole body and soul filled with an indefinable sense of happiness. She did well to hide it, nonetheless.

The others didn't say anything about it; even Nagisa knew when to stay quiet, though he did grin mischievously.

After a quick lunch break, they finally went around to visit the Penguin Encounter, featuring several types of arctic birds. The exhibit felt authentic right down to the chilly environment and fishy smell.

Sesame Place was Nagisa's favorite part of the park, after the penguins. He ran, climbed and splashed in the massive play area, but when Rei planned on dragging him away, he ran off to ride the Rio Loco instead. Everyone decided to brave the ride with him. It was exciting and fun. By the end of it, they were soaked and laughing uncontrollably.

While observing the sea lions, Rei had a close encounter with one of the animals that he won't ever forget (like the rest of the group.) As he leaned in for a closer look, muttering something about them not being beautiful enough, suddenly a sea lion flung a half-eaten piece of fish toward him. Before he could react, he was hit squarely in the face by the flying fish.

The Shamu Show was Mizuki's favorite despite the fact that Miho reserved seats at the front row, where most of the splashing ensued. When told by the trainers to give the signal in order to get splashed by the killer whales, she happily obliged for once, which earned a warm chuckle from Makoto.

When another trainer approached her, stating that she has the chance to meet one of the killer whales up close, her heart was pounding uncontrollably. With a soft caress of greeting, she smiled. Shamu seemed to understand the reason of her fearful approach and carefully came closer without scaring her off.

"She feels so soft and smooth," Mizuki exclaimed with sheer delight. "Like wet rubber."

After the killer whale, with progressive vigor, swallowed the contents of the fish bucket, she childishly soaked Mizuki with an unexpected splash of her beautiful tail, then slipped into the depths of the water.

"Are you wearing a swimsuit, like I advised?" Haruka inquired Mizuki as they made their way to the car, wet and satisfied, clutching onto a large dolphin plush. "I'll heed your advice next time," she grinned, skipping ahead of him.

"And to think she was so grumpy when we arrived," Gou sighed, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile. "But seriously," she turned to the boys. "You guys are spoiling her with gifts! She can barely carry all that stuff!"

Makoto laughed. "Mizuki deserves it after today."

"Simple blackmail; now she has no choice but to swim with us," Haruka stated his view on the souvenirs, and Nagisa followed: "You sound jealous, Gou-chan. Was the penguin plush I bought you not good enough?"

"It's Kou, not Gou! And I'm keeping Pengi."

As soon as they arrived after a long drive, Mizuki held onto Rei's arm and pulled him back. "What is it?" he asked, trying to smile. "I'm sorry for making you feel bad. I didn't even consider how you felt when I... freaked out in the pool."

"Mizuki-senpai!"—he flung out his hand— "You don't need to apologize. You don't need to say anything. All is forgotten!"

She was silent for a moment.

"Aren't you scared?"

"I most certainly am. The chances of drowning is high, in my case." He was absorbed in his calculations as to how high that possibility is. "That makes seventy-five percent. Mm! That's… considerably high."

"Rei!" exclaimed Mizuki, gaining his attention. "You—are you happy?"

"About what?"

"About joining the swimming team."

"Even if I'm scared, I'm happy I joined. Because I'm not alone in this. I'm never alone. Makoto-senpai encourages me to do better. Haruka-senpai… well, he's Haruka-senpai. And Nagisa-kun," his face turned flat. "As annoying and unpleasant as he is," he muttered something under his breath about the blonde calling him in the middle of night, for silly reasons, "Nagisa-kun is there for me when I need him to be."

Mizuki smiled. "Thank you, Rei," she said. "You'll catch up with the others in no time. I'm sure of it."

Rei made one of his deepest bows. "I will do my absolute best!"

All tuckered out from the trip, Mizuki snuggled up to her plush dolphin. She had never slept better that night, she decided.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Let me start by saying that I did NOT expect for so many readers to be interested in this story. It's overwhelming to see how many followers, favorites and reviews I received, and this is only the beginning of Into the Water! This is what gets my blood pumping. I will do my absolute best not to disappoint you readers. For now have an extra long chapter of reading fun. Enjoy, and review!_**

* * *

Rin ran, long strides that ate the pavement thanks to his height. His hair was in his face, bunches jouncing as his feet impacted the asphalt surface. The words manliness and male, less interchangeable than they might seem, both described him well. Manliness suggested a sort of toughness, though not without a sense of being humble. Male encompassed power as blunt and raw as sex. Neither descriptor would suffice without the other.

Muscled and athletic, he ran nearly every evening, usually not long before sundown. Eyes up, watching the trail and the surroundings. The air was brisk as it ever got in Iwatobi Town. Each footfall of the asphalt was the jolt of a syllable through his body: Vic-to-ry.

He felt like he could fly. "Victory," Rin whispered under his breath. The word seemed to give his feet wings, sending him down the path with a new surge of speed. Minutes later, he skidded to a halt, putting his hands on his knees.

Standing upright, he pushed his hand through his hair again and again as he heaved in air. Thirty seconds and he would start running again. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight.

The wailing of a melodious cat-like sound caught Rin's attention. Curious, he followed the growling sounds of the saxophone belonging to Mizuki Watanabe, the girl he'd met before. Just then, she turned around. Startled, he jerked backward and almost twisted his ankle.

_Holy shit._

His heart scampered into his throat and his eyes widened at the girl before him. With her eyes glowing mischievously in the night and her crouched form, Mizuki looked more cat than human. "I'm sorry," she said, coming down to meet him. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

A tenor saxophone dangled like an upside-down question mark from a strap around her neck. The large instrument made her look like a child, holding it against her chest.

"Remember me?"

Her voice, a rich sound that could melt ice, finally reached into his ears, pulling him out of his daze. But when he opened his mouth to answer her, nothing came out. She paused, her hands still on the saxophone, waiting.

"It's really late; shouldn't you be at home, where you're safe?" he scolded. Her eyebrows went up, and her grip on the instrument loosened.

"I'm sorry?"

"I outweigh you by, what, fifty pounds?" He sized her up, realizing just how bad the situation could have been, were it anyone but him. "I could have seriously hurt you by now. You shouldn't sneak out at night by yourself. If you meet a strange guy, you run and call the cops."

"Wow," she said, her laugh tinkling musically. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm serious."

"But you're not a stranger," she echoed, and she send him a wide smile. "You're good company. Or would you rather leave?" He wouldn't mind a little chat. And he would never leave her to fend for herself, in case some nutcase is lurking behind the corner.

"Well, under the circumstances… but this really isn't a good idea, either," he pointed out as he looked around.

"Why not?" Mizuki asked.

"You don't know me."

"Of course I do," she said. "You're Rin Matsuoka. 2nd year student at Samezuka Academy."

"Well, yeah," he admitted, momentarily nonplussed.

"You're a friend of Haruka's, right?"

"He's not my friend," Rin said automatically, then sighed. That response was getting to be knee-jerk. "That is, he's not anymore. I'm sorry. I don't remember your name."

"Mizuki," she replied, holding out her hand. "Mizuki Watanabe. Nice to meet you. Again."

He shook her hand. "This has got to be one of the weirdest introductions."

"Reintroduction," she interrupted, with that quicksilver grin. She was cute, in a girl-next-door kind of way. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, then glanced around once more. "I'm telling you, it's not smart to come out this late in the evening."

"I know," she said, and thankfully it sounded as though she would never do it again. "I don't want my family to listen in during practice. No one bothers me here, and it's nice and quiet."

Rin rubbed his jaw. "Honestly, think before you act."

"I'll bet, or you would have come at me with a chainsaw." He crossed his arms, then grinned when she giggled. "I can always swing my saxophone around to scare off predators," she winked at him. "Or maybe I should take self-defense classes?"

Definitely cute.

"At the risk of losing my masculine reputation in case you _do_ hit me out cold with that thing, I'll accompany you home."

After a peaceful stroll past the ocean, they approached her front door. "Remember, next time—" "If someone shady approaches, I'll run and call the cops." He was relieved, to say the least.

Rin suddenly reaches out to ruffle her hair, his gentleness making her feel like a child. Although the gesture was appreciated she disliked being treated like a five-year-old. Despite her looks, Mizuki was seventeen; almost a woman grown.

Without a word, she walked over to the door. Fidgeting on the spot, Rin shoved his hands in his pockets for courage he didn't feel. "You're good at playing that thing."

Mizuki's hand wavered at the doorknob. She turned and looked at him.

"Not that I know a lot of musicians; you're the first." The corner of Rin's mouth curled upwards, then fell away as quickly as it came. "You're good, so don't sneak out anymore. Don't doubt your skills. Just keep practicing—indoors, that is."

Mizuki found her voice, forced it steady. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Rin seemed to mock her playfully with a crooked smile, and she stuck her tongue out at him in defiance, afterwards closing the door behind her with a soft click.

— — — — — — — —

"We're heading for the pool," Makoto called out to Mizuki, the ringing of the school bell fading through the hallway. "After we're done with today's swimming workout for the Regional Tournament, we ought to have some time left to focus on you, Mizuki."

With glowing cheeks and parted lips, Mizuki laughs, and in her eyes was the growing light of joy. She shook her head, and her silky light-brown locks moved about. "I appreciate the offer but the audition is today," she replied. "The music band needs a saxophone player in time for the summer festival, and I'm desperate to get in!"

Sure enough, Mizuki was carrying a big bag on her back that easily towered above her height, and her small figure quivered with excitement. Despite being rather lanky and weedy, with her usual light-brown hair, plain brown eyes and very black lashes, and a clever little mouth, she had visitations of beauty when excited, because then she flushed deeply, and that made all the difference to Haruka.

He doubts she considers herself beautiful—like the rest. She's always too shy and awkward and tongue-tied in company to feel excited over anything. All the better, because he wants to keep that transforming gorgeous flush for himself.

"I see," Makoto smiled. "I'll be rooting for you, Mizuki."

For Haruka, breaking the monotony of their routine was not acceptable. "Too much change brings bad luck for those born under the Libra sign."

"You're going to jinx my performance!" she countered with a frown. As if she wasn't nervous enough. Things had not been going very well with her of late; courtesy of bad luck with fortune telling.

"Relax, Mizuki," Makoto soothed. "You'll do fine. I'm sure they will appreciate someone who is goal-oriented, hardworking and ambitious." _And nervous. Don't forget nervous_. Because even though she was prepared to do her damnedest to prove herself—including waking up at the crack of dawn to play the sax in solitude, she can't ignore that nagging voice in her head telling her to give up.

A bead of sweat trickled down Mizuki's spine as everyone in the club's music room watched her hook the sax with the strap around her neck, slide the reed into the mouthpiece, wipe the instrument with a cloth and then bow for attention. She wished the nervous fluttering in her stomach would settle.

Makoto wished her luck once more before dragging Haruka along with him; the blue-eyed youngster kept going on and on about how Mizuki's total lung capacity is significantly larger than average, thanks to playing the sax on a regular basis.

"She has the works to become the worlds greatest swimmer. She's gifted, Makoto."

"Haru, are you sure that's the only reason why you want to drag her along?" Haruka colored, involuntarily, to find that his friend had been reading his thoughts, but boldly asked: "Why, do you think?"

Makoto smiled, catching the instantaneous change he knew so well in Haruka's face, which had become gloomy as it had been flushed a moment ago. "She's not gonna forget about us. Understand that whether she gets the part or not, Mizuki will drop by at the pool for a visit."

Haruka shoved his hands into his pockets. He sounded doubtful. "I suppose you're right." Then, they preserved an unbroken silence.

— — — — — — — —

Rin jogged along the path without even breaking a sweat. He actually enjoyed this late evening's jog. Especially with the current view to hold his interest; Mizuki, sitting at the doorstep, armed with a white towel and a sports drink. "I knew you'd pass here sooner or later," she smiled easily, which wasn't difficult after seeing Rin's terrific torso with a lovely expanse of shoulders. She liked his legs, too. Well-muscled thighs and calves.

"Didn't I tell you to stay indoors? You're gonna get yourself killed if you keep this up." He approached her carefully, as if she might be an easily startled animal—which he supposed she was.

"Rin, I'm fine, really."

Rin reached out for the goods, his fingers grazing hers, and he tried to ignore the sensations prickling a path from his knuckles to shoulder. He greedily gulped down most of the bottle's content. Mizuki smiled once more, and she added, "Nice sweatshirt," in hopes of distracting him, before she breathed, "I'm fine," a final time.

"You don't sound fine. Thanks," he added automatically. "It's my lucky shirt. Gou gave it to me."

"Oh yeah, I remember. I wanted to buy you one and she threatened to tie my legs in a knot. It's a nice shirt. She has good taste."

"Of course she does. She's my sister." Rin offered a brief smile that fell away again as he visibly realized Mizuki had succeeded in distracting him. "Okay, what's wrong." He scowled, more in concern than anger. "You shouldn't pretend like everything is alright."

"What are you, my big brother?"

"I'm your friend and I worry. Just tell me what's wrong."

Mizuki shook her head without speaking.

"Someone bothering you?" It interested him to know who dared to upset her, and he won't stand for it. "Is it Haru?" She shook her head again. Rin detected the weariness in those brown eyes, the sadness at the corners of the now unsmiling mouth.

"You're not sick, are you?" he asked, afraid that she might be suffering from an illness. Yet once more Mizuki shook her head. "Oh for fuck's sake," said Rin, "Just tell me!"

Her shoulders slumped. She sat down on the doorstep. Then, she straightened her shoulders again quickly. She knew the value of putting a smile on a sad face—it made you feel happy after a while.

"I didn't make the cut." She paused for a beat, then said, "They're keeping me as a replacement in case Akimoto-kun can't make it." Her eyes filled with tears, and even though she managed to blink them back she suddenly seemed so fragile that Rin's heart went out to her.

That wasn't good, he told himself. He made a point of staying as detached as he could from people. It went a long way toward helping him maintain on course to reach his goal.

"I'm sorry," he said. When Mizuki nodded, he could tell she was trying hard not to let her tears escape. After giving her a few seconds, he sat down beside her and said, "You did your best."

"You're the only one who knows about… that I didn't…" Her voice ebbed away and she shook her head. "I can't tell my parents." He gazed at her and a sense of protectiveness went through him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her away from her depressive thoughts.

Rin felt warm and the muscle underneath his skin relaxed as she got closer. "Don't doubt yourself, alright? You bought me this sports drink. I worship you."

She snorts. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

Rin ran his hand through his hair. "I hope this Akimoto guy gets so sick he can't possibly leave the house."

"That's just mean."

"Okay, how about he breaks his leg in an unfortunate accident."

"How can you even say that with a straight face?"

"Try it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You'll feel better."

She took a moment, then decided to just go with it. "I hope his parents ground him for at least a week?"

"You're too softhearted. Don't be afraid to be more violent."

"I hope he dies," she suddenly says with a straight face.

"That's too violent!"

Mizuki drew an imaginary halo around her head and batted her lashes like a movie star. "Me? Violent?" Enchanted, his lips curved and he laughed. It seemed there might be a playful little devil ready to bust out of all that innocence.

"So you _can_ laugh," she teased. His laughter faded, although it struck him funny how a word or two from Mizuki could turn his mood from happy to sad and everything in between. He crushed the empty bottle in his hand, resembling the emptiness in his heart.

Sure he was making a name for himself. But at what cost? So far, nothing he'd achieved had erased the guilt he lived with every day. Deep down, he feared getting closer to Mizuki would only make it worse.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the long wait! Have a very long chapter as a reward for your patience. As always, thank you ever so much for the lovely reviews, follows and favorites. Give me some feedback on this chapter please! As much as I had fun with Rei, I want to know if I got his character down correctly... Till the next one! Enjoy the read!**

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"All packed and ready for the trip?"

Mizuki averted her gaze from Goro Sasabe's fishing boat and wrinkled her nose at Gou, who stood near with her own bag of necessities. "Are you kidding? My mom literally had to drag me out of bed this morning. Just looking at the ocean makes my insides churn."

"Maybe you need to sit this one out." The redhead sighed. "Watching the guys swim long distances in the deep blue isn't exactly fun. I can't bail out because I have to monitor their muscle progress."

"You mean their progress in general, Kou-chan—keep your eyes locked on the results."

"It basically adds up to the same thing." Gou's eyes danced. "What body type do you prefer?"

Mizuki held up her hand. She really didn't see the attraction. She'd never been a slave to her hormones. She just wasn't programmed that way. "I'm not interested."

"Not even when the guys strip down to their swimwear?"

Mizuki pinched the bridge of her nose when Haruka's slacks hit the concrete. Makoto pulled him away with effort and apologized profusely to the girls. Mizuki pursed her lips, then scowled at Gou.

"Okay, what?"

She stepped forward and covered one side of her mouth.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Haruka-senpai was sneaking a look at you!"

Surprise barbed through Mizuki as she unwittingly held in her breath. Despite knowing that he's held no romantic interest in anyone before, she looked at Haruka anyway, had to catch a glimpse to be sure. As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up from his zipped up slacks and faced her.

There was a light in the boy's dull eyes, an unmistakable expression of interest that startled her. Great. He'd caught her staring. _Doesn't matter. We're friends after all. _

But damn Gou. Damn her, damn her, damn her! She suddenly felt like a penguin around Haruka, heavy and awkward as they are on the ground. It was awkward to talk to him; it was awkward to smile, when Haruka held out his hand for her to hold.

Presently Rei carefully boards the shabby fishing boat, watching the water with alarmed lilac eyes, and wondering if he'll survive the trip. She dismissed Haruka, then ran lightly forward and hooked her arm with Rei's. He pushed up his glasses with a start and looked at her. A flash of undisguised embarrassment transfigured his face.

"Haruka-senpai is down that way—" he spoke quickly and nervously, as if knowing he would spit out something ridiculous before he even said anything.

"I don't care," she answered carelessly as she snatched his red-framed glasses and tried to focus her goggled eyes on the view. Rei gently retrieved his glasses with a dead-pan expression. "Something happened."

"Not at all—everything is fine!"

Haruka would have liked to follow Mizuki on board, but he thought she might dislike this and kept his distance. He remained in Makoto's company, and without looking at Mizuki, he was aware of her movements.

Soon enough the boat's engine roared.

"Are you alright, Mizuki-senpai?"

"Oh, I'm nervous—just a little. I don't do well on boats, especially when they go out into very deep waters. It makes me feel uncomfortable and dizzy." Rei shook his head. Certainly Mizuki wouldn't be in the quandary she was now if she'd been thinking with her brain.

"I would rather prefer for you to stay at home," Rei murmured, sitting down.

Mizuki snorts. "That ship has literally sailed."

"Even so, I'm still grateful you came along; being the only non-swimmer in the team is degrading, to say the least. With you here, I don't feel as pathetic."

Mizuki laughed. "We're the biggest losers around."

Yes, she's the wallflower. And Rei's the geek. He had her by a good thirty IQ points—probably more. They were in this together, so she had to make the most of it.

"What a beautiful view," he murmured. Taking a peek, the sea was surprisingly calm in her eyes—a pallid blue, save for a chance streak of deeper azure.

Mizuki thought of her grandfather on her mother's side of the family, Basilio Olivera. He had been born and brought up in Sicily with the sound of the gulf's waves; it's never-ceasing murmur had been his first lullaby. He knew it and loved it in every mood, in every varying tint and smile, in every change of wind and tide. There was no better fisherman than her grandfather, with a coward for a granddaughter.

Upon arrival, the boys carefully set up camp while the girls checked in at the lodge. Gou had returned from a quick trip to the convenience store, and she seemed upset. "You got _busy_ on the doorstep with my big brother—the guy who won't return my messages—and you didn't tell me?"

Mizuki put away her now empty bag then looked up, raising a brow at her friend. "When did that happen?"

"That you're crushing on my brother?"

"Well, that, and the fact that I _got_ _busy_ with Rin, as you put it." Mizuki had no idea how Gou had gotten that idea in her head. Judging by the little sister's deep frown, she knew she was in trouble. "We're just friends," Mizuki pointed out, because Gou clearly expected her to say something. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Gou repeated, shaking her clueless friend. "Do you even know what this means?" Gou went on. "You can talk to him about anything. It's the same with Haruka-senpai, too. Once you have the chance, you can throw in some tidbits about my brother missing the guys, and then they can reconcile. You'll be the bridge that connects them again."

Mizuki recognized a cue when it was shoved down her throat. She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not getting involved. I'm an outsider, just like you."

"That was harsh," charged Gou, her eyes flashing with emotion. "I know my brother conceals his misery. He doesn't say anything—that he misses them, but I can tell." Her somber eyes were shadowed and sad. Mizuki regarded her with a concerned expression on her face.

"You miss him badly," she said.

The petite girl before her, with her vibrant amber eyes, burgundy hair, and solemn expression, bore a striking resemblance to Rin. Mizuki didn't know him years ago. Was he as easygoing and refreshing as his sister back then? For the life of her, Mizuki can't imagine it.

"Alright," she broke down. "I promise I'll _try_, but don't expect a miracle from me."

"Thank you!" Gou embraced her warmly, until Mizuki flops backwards on her back and lands on the floor with a displeased groan.

"Is it true that your dad chased my brother all the way home with a bat?"

Mizuki snorts. "Dad couldn't outrun a professional swimmer if he tried—which he _did_, in his bathrobe no less. It wasn't very funny at the time, though."

"Not at all," said Gou, and they looked at each other, nodding. Then they both burst into loud laughter.

— — — — — —

"Time for dinner," Miho said as she set the table with Mizuki's help. The sky was red, rimmed with the lingering sunset of summer. As the boys dried off by means of a small towel, Gou couldn't pull her eyes away from their tall, athletic figures clad in nothing but their swimsuits. She watched with guilty fascination as they retreated to the tent to get dressed.

"Your future boyfriend must be a true Adonis," Mizuki teased.

"Forget Adonis. Give me Hercules any day," Gou sighed in contentment, and Mizuki had to laugh.

Shortly at the supper table, Gou mentioned to Haruka that Mizuki wanted to talk to him, and the brunette glared across the table.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing!" Mizuki smiled, nervously rubbing her hands together under the table.

"Okay."

"Don't give up so easily, Haruka-senpai!" Gou snapped. "God, you don't know how girls think at all."

"_Y'can' blame ss_," Nagisa chewed on his pizza slice with vigor and swallowed, eagerly reaching out for another. "Girls mature faster than guys and they look for long-term relationships, like marriage and a family, while guys are just looking for one-nighters."

"Nagisa!" Makoto's cheeks flushed.

"I don't think Makoto is the type that's only into hot sex in a relationship, though."

"Kou-chan!" The blush crept up from Makoto's cheeks all the way to his ears; he was grateful it was getting dark.

"Then again, hot sex can be romantic, if you do it right."

"Mako-chan definitely fits in that category," Nagisa nods. Makoto lowered his forehead on the table surface with a groan, flushing hotly and not speaking for a few moment; he was visibly embarrassed.

Throughout the laughter Rei sat stupid and silent, apparently incapable of motion.

"I guess it's time to call it a night," said Makoto, at last, sauntering along the beach to the large tent, followed by the others.

"See you tomorrow!" Gou called after them.

It was long past midnight, but neither Mizuki nor Rei seemed to be sleeping. "Well, well," said Mizuki, looking suspiciously at the youngster holding his kickboard clad in his swimsuit. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I think that's rather obvious," answered Rei. "I'm going swimming."

"But you _can't _swim," said Mizuki gravely. "You're still a beginner."

"Which is why I need to practice," sighed Rei, "I will improve; I cannot afford to lag in performance."

"Then I'll wake the guys," said Mizuki, "you can't possibly swim alone." She turned, only to feel Rei wrap a hand around her forearm to halt her. Coldness seeped through her thin sweater sleeve beneath his tight grasp. "Do not," he said with hard-fought calm, "get anyone involved."

Without another word, Rei released her and went out into the ocean.

"He's got to be the world's dumbest smartass," Mizuki murmured in disbelief as she shivered. She couldn't pull her eyes away from Rei about forty meters out in the open water. Then she sucked in a breath as he slipped and went under, only to stubbornly reappear again.

He'd been swimming—or, rather, attempting to swim—for well over an hour now. She'd been studying him for most of that time. She had to admire his perseverance, but she's seriously questioning his sanity. He must be freezing to the bone by now and close to exhaustion.

Mizuki's breath gushed out as Rei slipped up again for what had to be the hundredth time. With a suddenness that was almost terrifying, a storm broke over the ocean. There was a terrific clap of thunder, a flash of lighting, and a heavy downpour of rain that scared Mizuki.

"Where'd he go?" she spoke incredulously, spotting his kickboard bobbing on the surface—with no sign of Rei. Her stomach plunged and the concern that had pawed at the back of her mind leapt at her throat like a rabid dog.

"Rei!" she shouted, frantically scanning the waves. The frigid water lapped at her ankles as she waded into the shallows. Her stomach hit bottom as she spotted an unconscious Rei.

Coming out of the tent, Haruka shouted something, but the sound was lost as Mizuki dived cleanly into the water. Within seconds, the tug and pull of the tide had drained her energy and she was floating on the waves on autopilot. Luckily, Rei wasn't too far out, the waves bearing him towards shore.

She redoubled her efforts, fighting the churning water, the distance telescoping as her arms and shoulders began to ache and her legs numbed. Reaching him at last, she supported him.

"I got you; don't worry," she yelled, just as a wave crashed on top of them with a deafening roar. For a split second fear froze her as the wave sucked them down. This restlessness, this stuffy, claustrophobic feeling, had nursed her water phobia as a child.

But then Haruka approached steadily. He held her close, Mizuki's cheek pressed against his torso—the boy reminding Mizuki of the dolphin haunting her dreams—and kicked hard.

They surfaced together, breaking back into the heaving sound and fury of the angry sea. Heeding Haruka's orders Nagisa swam furiously to Rei's side, riding the swell as he supported his unconscious body.

The shore seemed a million miles away, her legs so rubbery she could barely move them, her chest screaming with the effort to draw a decent breath. Haruka kept going with her clinging to his body. After what seemed like several millennia, a large hand grasped her arm and hauled her upright. She squinted through the stinging salt, saw Makoto's hair plastered to his head.

"It's all right," he yelled. "Stand up; you can walk from here."

Her legs shook, trembling uncontrollably as she struggled to lock her knees. Nagisa and Haruka dragged Rei onto the sand, then knelt beside him.

"He's not breathing!" Nagisa cried out.

Mizuki jerked her head in the direction of the blonde's panicked voice. Without hesitation, she ran to help. Quick assessment: face flushed. Water submersion. Inefficient air exchange. She looked into his mouth and throat to ensure a clear airway. Tilting his head back slightly, she pinched his nostrils and blew three quick breaths, watching for Rei's chest to rise.

Mizuki repeated this procedure with shivering hands, the cold biting through her skin. After two minutes of unbearable silence, Rei gasped for breath, one after another. Mizuki turned him on his side as he coughed the seawater out of his system.

"He's okay," Nagisa said, the words coming out on a breathy whisper.

"He's okay," Mizuki reassured Nagisa, touching Rei's forehead to brush back his navy-blue locks.

The tent seemed cosy, with four spaces equally divided. Although it became instantly warmer in the tent, the atmosphere was heavy.

"I'm sorry," Rei muttered as he warmed himself with the blanket Makoto gave him. "This mess is all my fault."

"It's alright," Mizuki said. "No one got hurt. Don't take it to heart."

Haruka stared sullenly silent.

"Rei," he said, casually, "You could have gotten us all killed." Rei looked up, his lips parted, but found nothing to say as the guilt pierced his very heart.

"But we're totally fine." Despite the thump of panic still closing her throat and the brutal sting of salt in her eyes, heat coiled low in her belly as Mizuki gazed at Haruka.

"You should have stayed indoors," he snapped. Confused, she saw that he was not only upset and troubled, but angry, with his ocean eyes reflecting the stormy weather raging outside.

"I took a little walk. I didn't mean to—"

"I don't want to hear it! You should have involved us the second Rei reached the water! What if we didn't wake up when we did? The both of you would have drowned! What business did you have in the water anyway! You can't even swim properly in the pool without busting into tears!"

"I'm sorry," said Mizuki quietly. She'd never seen Haruka angry before. "I only tried to help."

"Diving in to help Rei wasn't the right decision; you're nothing but dead weight in the water." Mizuki looked at him with soft, sad eyes, her lower lip trembling.

"Haru, just forget about it," Makoto said, smiling sympathetically at both Rei and Mizuki. "They're terribly sorry. It won't happen again."

"Rei was _drowning_," Mizuki spoke coldly, "I didn't want to leave him."

Even thinking about it frightened her. When she was eight, her family had gone to the beach for a holiday. She had a great time running in and out of the shallow waves. Until a big wave knocked Mizuki over, bouncing her about on the sand and filling her nose and mouth with salty water.

Her mother had come running and pulled her out of the water. After that, Mizuki refused to go anywhere near the water. "You'll get over it," her mother had said. But Mizuki never forgot how scared she'd been. Focusing on the negative aspects of water only made her phobia grow worse.

"I just _had_ to dive in," she said. "He was scared to death, and leaving him to fend for himself was out of the question." Suddenly their first meeting in the ocean made sense, Haruka thought.

"I'm so terribly sorry, Mizuki-senpai," Rei sobbed pathetically. Nagisa exploded into a stifled laugh at Mizuki's story, to Rei's great indignation. "How can you have the heart to laugh!" he said, his lilac eyes full of fire.

"I'm sorry," Nagisa laughed freely. "It's just such a childish reason to fear the water; as expected of Mizu-chan!"

Makoto's voice, so warm, so close, laughed out. Then he furiously apologized, but resumed the laughter bubbling upwards once more. "I didn't think you'd ever be this mean, Makoto," Mizuki frowned. "Something I overlooked in your personality—bullying."

"No; I can relate, is all… and thank you," he said, rewarding her with a smile that was like a gift, "for telling us about your unfortunate experience. You're very brave, Mizuki." Still inseparable from her mind, came the memory of her late grandfather's kind face, with his eyes, as blue and clear as the water, as the same words were uttered by him.

"Thank you," she said, her brown eyes clouded with unusual melancholy.

Shortly after, they decided to sleep through the storm. But no thought of sleep had Haruka, watching Mizuki on the sly, in the middle of the tent, where she lied peacefully, cheeks flushed and chest rising, then descending again.

He thought of her as a friend. This desire to reach out to her was normal, he assumed, so he took her hand in his. Presently, chancing to look his way, she catches him watching her and knits her brows at him: "Go to sleep," she whispers. "You're being weird."

Feeling mightily guilty, he planned on retreating, only for Mizuki to retain the warm hold of Haruka's hand. He squeezed her hand and watched her closing her eyes, presently falling to sweet and dreamless slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you friendly readers for the 44 reviews, 82 favorites and 162 follows! I'm so pleased, and very thankful! The cat name that pops up in the end is based on the Bakeneko from Japanese folklore, which literally means cat monster/demon. Please review! I haven't been getting a lot of those lately. Read on and enjoy!**

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Life stinks. That's what Mizuki's little brother, Daichi Watanabe thought, anyway. Life stinks, for kids most of all.

He had mixed it up in class again today. Daichi had taken things way too far, as usual. Before the teacher could interfere, the confrontation had escalated into classroom warfare, complete with kids throwing anything they could lay their hands on at each other.

With his wavy light-brown hair and blue eyes Daichi focused on his sister, standing near her desk and further completing her photo collage on a bulletin board hanging on the wall. His memory produced a younger image of her. Finding his hiding spot in the linen closet, her hair a soft cloud of tousled silk locks, she was smiling down at him after a friendly game of hide-and-seek.

"There you are," she said, and he squealed in delight.

Somehow, she was his best friend—his only friend. After the years passed, her busy schedule made it impossible to hang out anymore.

He walked in his big sister's bedroom, shoving aside the unwanted trip down memory lane. Her room features many vintage and industrial touches such as the floral bed designed with under-the-bed basket storage compartments, a collection of old books and framed music posters.

In the remote corner was her sax stand, currently holding the instrument with an old leather-bound songbook occupying the music-stand nearby. A cat bed with a self-watering water bowl and old toys stood near the desk—but no cat.

Daichi's blue eyes sparkled mischievously at this. He sat on her bed, no doubt waiting for Mizuki to make the first move.

"I heard you decided to toss your classroom?" Mizuki finally said, making eye contact for the first time. He stared at the photos and one thing came in his head—love for her friends, he felt, ought to be entirely concentrated on him alone. She leads an active social life—and he was jealous. It irritated Daichi.

"Koutarou started it," he mumbled.

"Someone else always does."

He shrugged, not caring.

"I thought we talked about throwing things in the classroom," she said. "Mom and dad worry about the kids getting brained with a book—" she approached him "—or your backpack. Or your shoe—"

"I didn't hurt anyone."

"You get yourself into trouble every day, and you don't get along with any of your classmates—especially this Koutarou."

"He's a pain in the—"

"He's not your problem."

"He said—"

"He said that dad was a big loser." Mizuki sighed. "I know all about it. You can't completely lose it every time someone insults you. If you can't keep it together with the other kids in class—"

"No one talks bad about my family."

"Having temper tantrums isn't the answer." Mizuki was so concerned about Daichi's behavior, it made her want to throw things herself. "What's gotten into you lately?" she asked with care. "You weren't such a troublemaker."

Daichi's scowl rearranged itself into something fiercer. Something near tears.

Mizuki's mobile rang. She answered it and braced for Gou's voice on the other line. "It's time for the tournament! Don't make me come up there, because I _will_ drag you out the house."

Suppressing a sigh, Mizuki glanced at her little brother. She reached to smooth his bangs out of his eyes, and the boy flinched. "I'm not going, sorry."

"_Please_!" Gou begged desperately. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but the tournament is really important! We have to cheer them on!"

"Just go," Daichi turned away, his blue eyes glistering as he walked out. Mizuki kept her lips together as she watched her little brother's retreating back. "Okay," she sighed openly now. "I'm on my way."

— — — — — —

Standing on the block, Haruka looks out across the pool. On his right is his childhood friend and rival, Rin. A chill runs through him as he questions the outcome of this race. After all, he was never interested in breaking records or beating Rin. But here he stood, looking at the pure determination on the competitions' faces.

Doubtful, Haruka looked up at his team. He had the blessing of seeing Mizuki join the others, her form heaving and falling in quick pants, her face flushed, and her lips parted.

"Winner gets to ask her out," said Rin. "A sort of reward, after the race."

"How stupid," Haruka said crossly. "I won't involve anyone in this."

"There's no problem if you win, right?" Rin replied, mocking him, pulling such a grimace that he looked like a pictured devil on a Japanese kite. "Unless you think you'll lose…"

Haruka puts on his goggles, "Let's do this," and took the bait.

When the starter beep sounded, the swimmers pushed off with their strong legs and gracefully dove in for a fast start. Mizuki takes a deep breath, trying to get a Zen vibe going when both Rin and Haruka entered the turn, the latter falling a bit behind. Rin was making it down the second lane and finishing fast, free-styling his way down the pool, and toward the end Mizuki thought _He's not going to make it_.

As she looked around, she saw Makoto, Rei and Nagisa's panic-stricken faces. Then she yelled out Haruka's name. It was followed by Makoto, and soon a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the group. They encouraged Haruka to finish.

And he did finish—though it was irrelevant.

"Haru lost…" Makoto managed to say. This new revelation shocked everyone greatly.

Mizuki was sitting with the others when the loudspeaker boomed, "Mikoshiba-kun in lane four has just set a new tournament record." The captain of the Samezuka swim team was one of the many heroes she'd seen that day. But she witnessed a hero that didn't break a record—didn't even pass the prelims, and he had yet to show his face after the crushing defeat.

"Haruka-senpai hasn't come back yet." The remark came from Rei, after they waited half an hour for Haruka's reappearance.

"He's probably taking a long shower," suggested Nagisa.

"I'll go check up on him."

"No," Makoto chipped in. "We should let him be. Knowing Haru, he probably doesn't want to talk to anyone right now." Discouraged, Rei reluctantly sat back down. The absence of a certain brunette piqued his interest.

"Has anyone seen Mizuki-senpai?"

"Alright," began Makoto with a sigh, rising on his feet. "Let's take a look around."

Meanwhile, Mizuki stumbled around the hallways for several minutes, calling out softly: "Haru? Haru? Where are you?" No answer came out, and she continued her search.

"Watanabe-san?" a soft voice was heard. "What brings you here?" The grey-haired Aiichiro Nitori approached her, his blue eyes filled with wonder. With a height of 158 cm, others easily towered over her—Nagisa being the only exception—and she was glad to be roughly at the same eye-level as Nitori.

"Ah, you're looking for Matsuoka-senpai!" he said, a flash of excitement sparkling in his eyes. The boy persisted in dragging her to meet Rin; she awkwardly resists, only to realize its futile in the long run.

After Nitori excused himself, she approached Rin with a heavy thread of some awkwardness, his strong, warm gaze on her—like the sun shining brightly in the sky. She said something very polite about his victory in the fourth heat.

He looked her oddly in the face. "Of course I'd win," he said, sounding insulted. "You're congratulating me for something that's as natural as breathing. It's ridiculous, really."

"Of course," Mizuki hesitated and forced a smile, "Believe me when I say that I didn't mean to… ridicule you." He had never looked more off-putting than he did right now; she was blinded by the sun's rays and failed to see his arrogant self.

"You should have seen Haru's face," he went on, "_Priceless_. It was good of you to show up when you did, by the way. There's nobody in the world I would have wished to watch me beating Haru than you, and nobody else, I'm sure, that he didn't want to disappoint."

He turned to her with a grin so wicked that she shrank somewhat, not liking the way he belittled his childhood friend.

"You're being rude," said Mizuki, with stormy eyes.

"Hell yeah!" replied Rin hotly. "I worked hard to beat him. I'm allowed to gloat over my rival's loss."

"How can you talk like this!" she answered, firing quickly. "Yes, you have the right to feel a sense of self-satisfaction over your victory, and you worked hard to get this far ahead, but you shouldn't be so cutting! The both of you have suffered enough as it is, when you stopped swimming altogether as a child and Haruka blindly following your example, and if you had bothered to connect the dots after that awful experience, surely you would have realized he deeply cares for you!"

"You weren't there," he said. "Stop talking shit about what happened in the past, because either way, it's none of your business."

"You guys _make_ it my business! Is it so hard to treat one another as equals? Time will—"

"This is a waste of time," he said grimly and walked off, his thoughts growing darker with every step. He had hardly turned away when she messed up her hair in a fit of desperation. "How stubborn!" she cried.

Mizuki's search for Haruka continued, and she found him shortly. He cocked his head and studied her from his seat, spending several seconds on each part of her: disheveled hair, rose-red cheeks and tired eyes, cotton cardigan, shorts, ballet flats. Mizuki felt as if she'd been burned to CD by the time he was done.

"You alright?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied, looking at her with a pair of dark, rather dull, blue eyes. If Rin was as bright as the sun, Haruka was the dark side of the moon. Not an ounce of amusement flickered in those dark eyes.

She sat down beside him. Now that she was here, there had to be something she could say to raise his spirits. No need to rush into it for now.

Reading her thoughts, he simply traced her hand which lay motionless beside him—for he was a simple guy, the warmth of her hand invading him as he remembered the feel of her fingertips, callused from hours of playing the saxophone, then he faced her, without a word. Her eyes were full of questioning.

"You must be disappointed," Mizuki said curtly, "and honestly, I don't know how to make you feel better; I can't even comfort my own brother." He gave her hand a little, tender squeeze, trying to reassure her. Mizuki chuckled silently, gradually breaking into a louder laugh.

Sitting in her company, Haruka lost all sense of time. Minutes—those minutes spend holding her warm hand, squeezing it gently and then loosening his grip—seemed to him hours, and hours seemed to him minutes. He was surprised when Mizuki checked her cell-phone, and he found that it was five o' clock in the afternoon.

"I'm going home," Haruka said suddenly.

"Are you still upset?"

"It's the opposite, I'm content."

He'd been reflecting on what a good thing it was to have lost against Rin. His defeat led him in her company where he felt at peace. Taking the bus home, Mizuki sends Gou a message that Haruka didn't feel like sticking around. There's no need to wait up for them.

Treading the stairs to his place, Haruka followed her like a pet lamb till she slackened her pace and walked beside him, talking calmly on indifferent subjects, and always checking on him if he tried to take her hand again.

She didn't expect for him to be so clingy—mostly because she has nothing to offer him.

At the sound of their steps a small cat looked up. He didn't move, but there was suspicion in his attitude. The muscles on his back contracted, his eyes glowed like green lamps against white fur, his tail switched a little, warningly.

Mizuki looked at the feline. And the feline looked at her.

"Haru," said Mizuki, "does this cat belong to anyone here?"

"Yeah. Makoto has been trying to locate that cat's owner for days."

"So you've seen the owner?"

"This kid snoops around here a lot. He feeds him occasionally and runs off when he sees me."

"That's my cat," said Mizuki in an irritated tone. As if proving her right, the cat stalked towards her, and, suddenly lowering his head, drove it vigorously against her leg. He permitted her to pick him up and carry him home where Daichi will be reprimanded for his behavior.

Closing the door, the cat was padding silently about the room for a while, raised his head and uttered a crooning cry. When Daichi came downstairs expecting his mother, he froze for a moment, then hurried upstairs. Mizuki followed slowly. She slid open the linen closet's door where Daichi was hiding in an unfortunate cramped position.

"There you are," Mizuki said, smiling at her little brother's habitual hiding spot. He reluctantly got out, blushing with guilt. "Go ahead and punish me. I don't care," he frowned heavily, giving Mizuki a hasty glance, then keeping his blue eyes fixated on the floor.

Without another word, she clasped her brother in an affectionate embrace, only desisting for a moment to give him another hug. She was looking at him, apologizing for her behavior, as the little brother could see, very seriously.

Daichi—feeling the tears stinging in his eyes now—gave himself wholly to her embrace, and Mizuki stroking his hair while she murmured continuous apologies.

"You're neglecting him without meaning to," Haruka told her before. "He's rebelling when you're not around, desperately looking for new ways to get your attention. Breaking the rules assures a verbal form of communication; it's the only form of contact he has left."

Haruka would have done the same if he were in the boy's shoes. In fact, there isn't much difference between them, although Daichi was far too obvious when it came to gaining his sister's affection.

"Comfort him," he said, his voice perfectly steady, "Spend time with him."

Mizuki would have to find a way to thank him for his advice. For now, she went to the fridge and brought out milk and sardines. "How about you name the little guy," she suggested to Daichi, and he wrinkled his forehead in thought.

"Demon," he said at last, brightening; "That's his name. You know, as in those supernatural demon cats that can fly and create fireballs." This isn't gonna end well.

"Alright," she said reluctantly, "Demon it is."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you readers for the reviews, follows and favorites! There's no Rin in this chapter but that will change in the next one. Unfortunately it's going to take longer for me to write it out. My reason being that I have to strap myself down on my chair and open my Japanese text books! A big exam is coming up, so yeah. I _hate_ studying kanji so much. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and review please! Wish me luck. ;v; **

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Now there was a challenge. And one Haruka was willing to accept, despite the damn near impossible chance of succeeding.

Mizuki would never be satisfied unless she made some progress today. With her feet spaced apart and her lithe, lightly tanned legs looking ridiculously long, she sure looked ready for action. All Haruka could do was stare from his position in the pool, the chlorine liquid reaching his chin.

Her swimsuit was hot—a black maillot style one piece, stylish white side panels, sleeveless, with a scoop neckline, racer back and high cut legs. It was a very tight-fitting style of swimsuit; perfect for effortlessly paving a way through the water.

Her long hair was tucked away by means of a black swimming cap, emblazoned with a sports company logo. Black strapped swimming goggles with golden tinted lenses hung around her neck. To Haruka, she was like some ancient Greek water Goddess: the mother of fish, seals and dolphins.

Despite himself, the boy felt his heart leap more than once.

"I only have an hour to spare so let's make this quick," Mizuki checked the time on her _waterproof watch_. Haruka swallowed greedily, the beating of his heart growing louder, louder!

"Then get in," he mumbled inarticulately, with his hand outstretched to support her.

Mizuki froze. He recognized that look of fear in her eyes. Wading into the water, she felt horrified, but with a great deal of puffing she managed to stand tall, a foul expression gracing her face.

"Try to be in harmony with the water," said Haruka; "you're too tense."

"I can't relax anymore than this."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't!" she snapped. "Water is an unnatural and threatening environment. It's not easy to relax, so don't. Push. Me."

Haruka placed his hands on Mizuki's shoulders and pushed her lightly with the uneasy gentleness of a cat. As soon as the girl came up she struggled to the wall, and puffed and panted and glared fiercely at her classmate.

"I'm going to _kill _you."

He glanced at Mizuki. She wasn't looking in the least scared now.

More predatory.

Good.

"You're filled with so much tension and fear that you can't possibly move freely," Haruka moved closer, coming up beside her—reaching for her shaking hands and guiding her further into the pool. "When you don't move freely you don't flow. Water is a fluid; flowing freely through it is the answer."

"I can't do this," she protests. Why was he looking at her like she'd disappointed him somehow? "You're giving up," he said, suddenly annoyed. "After you convinced me you were inspired to do better, too."

He didn't know before, but Mizuki obtained inspiration from watching the club win their first relay—inspiration that played a vital part to overcoming her phobia.

The way Makoto pushed off the wall, got in a parallel position, curled his shoulders in, then started kicking, and kicking, and kicking. He kept his parallel line—kept his head back, noise pointing up—kept kicking, then switched shoulders, and breathed.

Nagisa took over and pushed off the block, deep into the water, then assumed a streamlined pencil position with his hands out in front. Rising to the surface with both his hands closing in on his chest, they shot out quickly side by side, palms up and performing the out-sweep, adding breath into his movements.

Pencil, out-sweep, in-sweep, extension, then pencil again.

Pull, breathe, kick, glide, and repeat.

He _looked_ much "taller" in the water than he was on land.

In came Rei with his butterfly kick; his arms and hands along the side of his body, leading with the head, letting his body follow. With his arms in front, he kept his serpentine motions small, his hips going up and down—the most sensual movement the butterfly stroke provides, or any stroke, in Mizuki's opinion—occasionally dropping too deep or rising too high.

They made it look so easy. They were so fishlike that they looked downright _elegant_, in the same way Michael Jordan looked elegant playing basketball. They looked so graceful and controlled that she'd never suspect they were going all out.

Haruka was anchoring the relay, grabbing the end of the block with both his hands, using his arms and legs to launch himself from the block into a stream-lined position. Mizuki never tires of seeing his form, so strong and elegant, reach the depths of the pool, then kicking upward and churning the surface of the water, always kicking.

He swam well. Her eyes saw that. His strong, easy strokes carried him swiftly through the water.

She stared, transfixed.

She was a well-brought-up girl, and she knew how rude it was to stare; but this was a special occasion. She stared. More, she gaped. She leaned farther over the rail, farther still. Her sun-shading straw hat slid from her hand.

When Haruka reached the wall, a shortness of breath, he was dragged out of the pool by Makoto and then jumped upon by Nagisa. They were jumping up and down with excitement, embracing one another.

Everyone was having so much fun, Mizuki thought at the time, watching them in their happiest moment. It awakened her confidence to a blazing flame. The flame was only temporarily, it seemed, doused by the venomous water trying to swallow her whole.

"I'm sorry—" began Mizuki, but that was as far as she got, because just then a stream of water from his hands spurted right into her open mouth. "Cut it out!"

"You can do this," he said, his face expressionless. He didn't know the extent of the struggle she went through, but he knew she can work harder and longer than anyone he knew. Her skills with the saxophone was proof of that. "You're not alone in this. Just trust me and be in harmony with the water."

"Squirting water at me doesn't help one bit!"

"Of course not," he admitted. "It had no real purpose. Just to annoy you."

"And I should trust you, why?"

"I don't see anyone else here."

"I'm leaving."

"You read my mind. I'll be leaving first if you're not up for this… all alone in the pool."

"You wouldn't dare."

He was a bit irritated that she looked so surprised. "Yeah. I'll leave the pool," he said defiantly. "Have fun swimming by yourself." He drew in a sharp breath, praying he didn't look _that _upset to get out the water.

Something blew in her head. A fuse, a gasket, whatever was holding her back. "Okay! Please stay! I'll-I'll do my best, so please…"

"That's what I thought," he said smugly, praising the water gods on the inside. Bluffing wasn't his forte, and if it was anyone other than Mizuki—take Makoto for instance, he would have seen right through his bluff.

He made an effort to teach her how to float in water, because the key to floating is, ironically, a major challenge for her: she has to relax. Mizuki's trust in him to help overcome her fear will also be tested. Once her body was aligned with the water, Haruka placed his hand under her back and making the necessary adjustments.

She felt warm to the touch.

He liked that.

"Breathe deeply. Exhale and repeat," he advised, in a soothing voice. In him aroused a feeling of fondness. Even floating around like this, she was charming, with a few strands of hair peeking out from under her cap, that not so gentle rise of color in her cheeks, and her small and pretty nose that she abruptly wrinkled in deep concentration.

Haruka experienced almost physical pleasure in the sensation of being near; he selfishly ignored the fact that she could float on her own, but Haruka had to remind himself to let go, rather than indulge for just a few more seconds in the warm softness.

While Mizuki drifted away she was saying something: "Am I doing okay?"

He gave her a long, slow look, and said, "You're on your own."

All at once she startled into the water, splashing wildly about. At this moment, however, two hands, grasping her beneath the arms, lifted her head above the water. "It's alright," his words whispered in her ear, his hands settling on her waist now.

She turned, finding him enticingly close, and for the first time she truly registered how handsome he was, in a careless, I-get-up-looking-like-this-in-the-morning kind of way. Mizuki began to babble, "R-right, I… I… I should be going home now."

The anger she'd shown since he pushed her into the water dissipated. She didn't deserve such discomfort, so he gave her some space and nodded.

Nagisa's bubbly voice was heard down the hallway, his steady footsteps closing in. He was chatting up a storm with Makoto, Rei and Gou not too far behind. Such fun they were having that they didn't see ahead, and Makoto went bumping into Mizuki who was just heading to the changing room.

Makoto, letting out a frenzied yell by looking at her alien-like appearance, hid behind Rei to bury himself in the crowd, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste; he was horrified. When he discovered it was just Mizuki after she got rid of her cap, her long hair falling down, he was speechless. Makoto started to apologize, but Nagisa cut him off and he outright laughed, in which Gou and Rei joined gleefully.

"Thanks for the lesson, Haru," Mizuki said hastily, "See you guys another time," making her way through the small crowd.

"It's nothing," Haruka said, with a light flick of his hair. He saw that the group—minus a preoccupied Rei running calculations in his head—was smiling, and Nagisa's smile was most definitely of the creepy kind.

"You're very wet," he said, with an accusing, but playful tone of voice.

Haruka glanced down at his swimming trunks. It's supposed to be wet, right? He didn't understand the problem, if there was one in the first place.

"Mizu-chan too. The both of you were wet. Together," Nagisa wriggled his brows suggestively. "In a pool of—" "You should totally change into something dry, before you catch a cold," Makoto silenced the boy with his hand on Nagisa's blabbering mouth.

"It's the middle of summer—"

"Haru, go drink some bottled water or something!"

"Okay," Haruka blinked lazily as he walked away, not even interested anymore.

"Why didn't we know anything about this?" Gou questioned with a tilt of her head.

"They swam in the pool; it's the only logical explanation," said Rei, quietly.

"Yeah, together—" "Don't start again Nagisa!" Makoto blushed. "How about we follow Haru-chan and—"

"I got this," Rei held up a roll of duct tape meaningfully. "I simply have to use enough tape to keep him quiet and immobile." His handsome face glittered with malice.

"I'm pretty sure this is illegal," Makoto looked around, a nervous wreck.

"_I'm_ pretty sure you're sadistic, Rei-kun," Gou rolled her eyes. Typical boy behavior.

"And I'm certain this will serve as a beautiful piece of inspiration!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the wait! Have an extra long chapter as a reward. I wrote a bit too much methinks. As always, thank you for everyone for the reviews, favorites and follows. It still amazes me to see how much readers are interested and all. Oh, and I've finally decided who Mizuki ends up with! Things will be getting a little dark from this point on so yeah, just a heads up. Please review, and happy reading! **

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Down into the ocean, deeper and deeper, sank Mizuki. There was a swirling and foaming of the water as she went down, caused by the air bubbles she carried with her in her descend. The silence was disturbed by the rapid beatings of her own heart.

Her uneasiness increased; the dolphin did not appear.

Around her was all darkness, a darkness so deep and so black. Mizuki swam as hard as she could to the light, toward the surface that seemed miles away, when suddenly she saw movement from afar.

An enormous head with a huge mouth, wide open, showing four rows of gleaming teeth appeared, and the mere sight of the shark frightened her almost to death. She tried to swim away from it, to escape, but that immense mouth kept coming closer and closer.

Mizuki swam desperately with her arms, her legs, her feet.

The shark went through the water like a shot—swifter and swifter. The monster overtook her and she found herself in between the rows of gleaming white teeth.

Mizuki woke with a cry of terror, trembling with the recollection of her dreadful nightmare. Beads of sweat stood on her forehead as she breathed heavily with her eyes wide. It was a long time since she had nightmares this severe and scary.

When Mizuki's mother entered the room five minutes later, she pretended to be in deep slumber. "Good morning, sweetheart," Carla whispered, then stroked Mizuki's leg as she began to rouse.

"Good morning," Mizuki smiled tiredly. She appreciated Carla's presence in the house; working full time as a nurse didn't give her much time to spend with the family, after all.

"Hurry up and get dressed. I made pancakes this morning." Mizuki stifled a sigh.

"What's the matter? Didn't sleep well?" Mizuki shook her head. "Just missed having you around."

"I missed you too," Carla said, seizing Mizuki's arms and put them round her. "Give me a hug, Mizuki," she commanded. "A _real_ hug." She held her mother firmly, the familiar perfume of garden-roses, pinks, and other blossoms wafting in her nose.

"Your father is already wearing his _happi_ coat," she said, stroking her daughter's hair. "He wears the same thing every year…"

"…and then goes around every year asking if he looks good in it," said Mizuki, with a laugh.

She rose from her bed to the bathroom and gazed in silence at her reflection in the mirror, not liking how tired she looked; her face was sickly pale, and her hair matted with cold sweat, hung in wild disorder about her head.

"I'm surprised mom didn't notice," she said softly, turning away with plans to take a bath, only to desist. She was haunted by the shark. A dread possessed her that when she least expected it, the shark would appear. She imagined the shark watching her from below the bathwater with greedy eyes, then coming at her with those mighty jaws, and she screamed herself out of the unpleasant daydream.

"What's the matter?" her father's muffled voice was heard in the hall.

"Nothing!" Mizuki called back. "Just… excited for the festival," she replied bitterly.

"Yeah, I'm the same. I still look good in my _happi _coat, though, right?" Mizuki was too stressed out to laugh at his words; maybe a quick shower would be best.

Late in the afternoon, Daichi ran to his room and dressed so quickly into his dark blue, white dragonfly patterned _yukata_, that he was all done and stood in the hallway before Mizuki began to put on hers. He could do everything himself—all but the sash which tied round his waist and held everything together.

Mizuki always tied it for him.

She came down, wearing a classic white _yukata_ with a pattern of orchid flowers, coordinated with an indigo blue-based _obi_, and arranged her hair in a fluffy curled chignon with an ornament, consisting of large and small flowers. Mizuki looked refreshingly cool.

"I won!" Daichi called to her.

"You don't even have your _obi_ on yet," Mizuki answered.

"I can't do it myself," Daichi pouted.

"I know," said Mizuki. "Come here and I'll tie yours for you."

Mizuki backed up to Daichi, and she tied his _obi _in the blink of an eye. With that eager face and sparkling blue eyes, Daichi looked very handsome. "And that's how you do it," she nods, proud of her work.

"Mizuki, your _obi_ is tied upside down!" Their mother came walking in and fixed it for her. Mizuki's face was red with embarrassment, and her little brother snickered.

When they were all dressed, slipping on their wooden clogs, they went to visit the shrine first. When they finished, Carla allowed for her children to mingle with the crowd, armed with an empty stomach and plenty of small change. The streets were packed with groups dressed in matching _yukata_; children scooped for goldfish and light sparklers; others try their hands at the shooting galleries.

"I wanna shoot stuff," Daichi suggested.

"You do know those games are rigged, right?" Daichi cocked his head to the side. "Trust me," she said, "I've been trying to win the big prizes for years." She was more interested in filling her stomach, anyway.

"You just want to eat," Daichi quickly caught on.

Mizuki rolled her eyes, "I'll get you something too." At a stall, she prepared to pay for fried squid on sticks, "It's too greasy," when Daichi started complaining. "You're a kid. You're _supposed_ to stuff your mouth with greasy food," she retorts, then rolled her eyes in defeat. "Fine, let's get some paella."

"Too spicy for my taste."

"Cotton candy then?"

"Not in the mood for sweets," he said primly. Mizuki wouldn't hear of it. "Stir-fried squid it is."

"Too squiddy."

"Now you're just yanking my chain; there's squid everywhere!"

At times like these, Mizuki wondered if they really were blood-related. There came the sound of running steps—clumpity—clumpity—clump! Nagisa greeted her, wearing a colorful yukata and a goofy smile. "You look gorgeous, Mizu-chan!" He said, his arms waving wildly.

"Mizuki-senpai?" Rei closed in on them with Makoto and Haruka not far behind. The glasses-wearing youngster squinted his eyes as if that would improve his vision. "A beautiful sight indeed," he said, with the nervous gravity that possessed him when complimenting people, or saying kind things.

Mizuki bowed to them, accepting their compliments with grace, and Rei dragged Nagisa down to bow together with him. Not meaning to, she blocked out Makoto's compliments and noticed Haruka staring, his piercing blue eyes meeting hers. The kind of stare that looked straight through a woman's clothing and saw her naked.

Except his eyes never left her face.

"Good evening." Mizuki belatedly covered the crack in her voice with a throat-clearing. Her small, hesitant bow was part of the charm. He wasn't here to be charmed.

"I'm going to the restroom," Haruka said, then turned his back on her and walked off. A flush of heat crept up her neck thanks to the embarrassment surging through her.

"Don't mind Haru," Makoto offered one of those stunning smiles. "You know how he is." Mizuki watched Haruka's retreating back, and Makoto joined him soon enough.

"We need help with an urgent matter," Rei said over his specs while Nagisa looked around suspiciously. Daichi slid his hand in hers, then squeezed softly. He prayed Mizuki wouldn't abandon him and squeeze his fingers back, but she didn't.

Nagisa leaned in conspiratorially. "Can you keep an eye out for Rin-chan?" he whispered. "With him in plain sight, Haru-chan won't keep his mind off of swimming."

"Sorry, I can't." Three girls giggled behind them as they passed, wearing the most attractive yukata Mizuki had ever seen. "Why not?" he asked dejectedly.

"I'm spending time with this guy." _This guy_ was Daichi, standing straight like a brave little soldier glowing with pride. "You've got a swimming club issue on your hands, and I am _not_ a club member. Handle it without my help." _Without me meddling_, she thought, breaking eye contact and turning to walk away all in one hurried movement.

Mizuki still hadn't sorted the mess she'd made with Rin. Just the thought of seeing him had her mouth turning as dry as the sand on the nearby shore. He was right all along; it wasn't her place to talk about the past—she didn't grow up with them, after all. She has to trust them to resolve their issues on their own.

The siblings occupied one of the many stalls, trying to _fish_ for colorful balloons floating in a tub of water. As Daichi's paper line breaks again and again, Mizuki patiently fished out a green balloon for him. His blue, keen eyes lit up with laughter, his flushed face, with his light, soft, fluffy hair, was full of delight and glowing with life.

Wandering aimlessly through the crowded space, Rin tried hard to contain his anger. He caught sight of Mizuki laughing, the anger boiling over. Of course it was stupid, very stupid. She hadn't done anything to make him angry. It was pure selfishness on his part to grow angry seeing her so happy—especially because of Haruka's involvement. He made him look like an idiot at the relay, humiliating him like the rest of them.

In his mind was just one thought—to make Haruka suffer so that he'll never, ever would dare even think of making a fool out of him again.

Rin moved down to the pair, a few children setting off their light sparklers looking up as he passed. Then he saw Mizuki rise, bowing with a sudden, unwilling movement, looking all the while at Rin with his dark, exposed stare.

"Did you come alone?" she asked after the usual polite greeting.

"Nitori is around somewhere," he shrugged, explaining that he came over with Samezuka's swim team to pray for victory. His voice was dull and toneless.

"Daichi, this will only take a moment," Mizuki turned to the little one, the light in his eyes quickly dying out. "Go and play, but stay clear from the docks." He leaves with solemn steps, but not before glaring daggers at Rin.

"You're spoiling the brat."

"No," said Mizuki, in a protective manner. "I'm spending time with him. It's the most vital quality a sibling possesses, and one you're missing out on."

Rin paused sullenly. He hated her.

"There's no band out tonight," he dismissed her sharp tongue. "Canceled at the last minute?"

"Akimoto-kun was absent. They had no choice but to cancel."

"I thought you were his replacement."

"Yes, but I declined. As I said earlier, I'm spending time with my brother."

"Cause of absence?"

"Akimoto-kun—he broke his leg in an unfortunate fall."

There was another pause.

Rin gave a spiteful grin. "Fucking hilarious," he snorts, because the whole situation was downright laughable. She frowned and bit her lower lip. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious—maybe even a bit guilty, with her eyes judging him.

"You think I had something to do with it," he spat with a troubled frown of his own. "If it was up to me I'd break his face in. Nice and clean."

The girl looked at Rin with steady, calm curiosity. Then, surprisingly, her features lit up with a smile, and next she burst right out into a loud laugh. "You're so spiteful and yet open-hearted," Mizuki chuckled softly, her eyes dancing. "My gosh," she clapped her hands to her lips. "I'm sorry for laughing. I'm sorry—for everything!"

"You're acting weird, as usual," murmured Rin, with that faint surprise in his eyes. For a moment he thought how unfair it would be to use her to get to Haruka. But because he's so angry, the moment passed quickly. Anger is never fair.

"Don't apologize," he said, and then, as if it wasn't such a big deal, he added, "I'd rather you go out with me sometime."

You could have tossed a beanbag into her gaping mouth from across the street, and won a teddy bear. "You're asking _me_ out?" Rin was a guy used to being stared at. But there was a limit.

"Did I stutter?" he accused her boldly, then ran his fingers through his red hair and let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm asking you out. You're up for it?"

Mizuki's face lit up with a sweet smile, full of light. He stood there, one of his large hands, that were very shapely yet attractive, reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. His hands fascinated her. And she knew, her fascination wouldn't stop there.

Rei took a deep breath as he often did rather dramatically before releasing whatever had been bottled up for so long, then murmured: "As always, listening to you was a grave mistake, Nagisa-kun. I was in the wrong to follow your lead."

"You're always complaining," Nagisa said, grinning. "You enjoyed playing the detective, didn't you, Rei-chan?"

Rei looked away, hiding his red face. "It will not happen again."

Makoto studied him. "You actually stalked Rin without him noticing? That's admirable, if it wasn't against the law," Makoto laughed.

Haruka had his usual poker-face on—but that would change the moment Rei spilled the beans about what he'd seen, having learned that Rin is closing in on the girl he's grown fond of. He wasn't about to ruin the team spirit for everyone.

A sound floated to Makoto on the breeze. A call for help. He was sure of it.

The hairs on his neck standing on end, he hurried to the dock's ledge much to Nagisa's and Rei's confusion. Makoto scanned the dark water, frowning. Had he imagined the call for help? But then his gaze snagged on a glob of kelp.

It was a child!

Makoto's stomach dropped and a heart-stopping chill of dread cut through him. "That kid is drowning!" he said, already stripping off his T-shirt. He looked at Nagisa as he threw his shirt to the floor. "Call 9-1-1 and let them know what's going on. I'm going in!" Nagisa didn't argue. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.

Rei saw Mizuki standing close to the edge—a little too close, and he feared she might fall in as well. She stared at the water, paralyzed with fear, and breathing hard. The shark sickened her soul with deathly fear; she was left powerless as her little brother was left alone in the dark waters.

Makoto's breath left him in a rush as he hit the water, which was icy despite the warm summer day, and he almost froze up as the ocean shocked his body. He couldn't afford to let his fear of the ocean get the better of him, and with that in mind, he managed to keep going.

Just as Makoto reached the boy he recognized as Mizuki's little brother, he went under. Ignoring his own growing exhaustion, Makoto grabbed his arm and pulled him up, noting when he surfaced that Daichi's skin was the color of snow. He had to get him out of the water, and fast!

He began to swim, pulling the boy with him as best he could. His breath burning in his lungs, his legs and arms aching with effort, he swam for shore. Which, at the moment, looked far away. Just as his strength was almost spent, he put his foot down and felt sand. Holding Daichi in his arms—his body feeling ice-cold to the touch—Makoto carried him to shore.

Daichi was surrounded by firefighters and rescue personnel, assessing his condition.

Filled with dread, Mizuki wobbled over to find out about her brother. She saw Makoto approaching her, a fleece blanket covering his shoulders. "I don't think you should see this," he said. "He's been through a lot."

"But he's okay, right?"

"He…um, fell and hit his head on a rock."

A chill from deep within spread through Mizuki's body, adding another layer of fear to her soul. As she drew near, her breath snagged in her throat. Daichi was covered with a blanket, his face ashen, and he had a nasty cut on his temple.

Mizuki felt her knees tremble, and she thought she might pass out. The enormity of what had happened to him, of who she'd almost lost, began to sink in and she started to shake. Tears welled and spilled, running down her face in two steady streams. She made it to his side and fell down on her knees next to him, resisting the strong urge to take his hand in hers; she was almost afraid to touch him.

Just then, Daichi turned his head and looked at her, his blue eyes locked on her. Guilt overtook him, and he struggled not to cry. "It's gone…" he whispered. "I lost the balloon you gave me." Mizuki shook her head and grasped his icy hand, feeling tears burn her eyelids once more.

This was all her fault.

The ambulance pulled away, and Mizuki watched it go with unbidden memories of her nightmare in the water flooding her mind. The cold ocean overtaking her. The feeling of total helplessness as the shark pursued her.

She couldn't even save her own brother. Which meant her swimming lessons with Haruka had all been for nothing.


End file.
